The Pi Covenent
by AshtakRa
Summary: A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation. Slash Ronon/Lorne
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

_Atlantis_

The room was brightly lit, which was just as well since the visual protocols of his ocular implants had failed – leaving nothing but organic sight.

The fact almost made him grimace in disgust, but that too would be a human reaction and he was not human… not any more.

_Scan for…_

The integration was not responding. That was impossible, even if all other protocols failed he would still have integration. In the event of catastrophic system failure he should still have integration – it was the core of him.

Without it he was,

It was unthinkable but the thought could not be stopped,

He was alone.

SGASGASGASGA

"He looks scared," muttered Ronon. His comment brought a sneer from McKay and a nod from Sheppard.

On the monitor the prisoner walked the room, trying various wall panels and testing the door.

"Rodney?" hissed Sheppard impatiently.

"Yes Colonel," he answered in the same tone, tapping off instructions on his tablet. "Okay, as far as I can tell there are no sub-space transmissions and he should be incapable of activating any implants."

"Right." Adjusting his uniform Sheppard took a breath and walked to the door, he gave a quick side-ways glance at Ronon. "You agreed – no barging in no matter what happens."

Ronon grunted a yes but his stance and crossed arms spoke volumes about how much he agreed with that decision.

Sheppard seemed to reconsider. "Well maybe if he looks like ripping my head off you can come in."

"You know I would anyway."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes but knew it was a lost battle. "Just… try and be objective until we know more 'kay?"

Another grunt answered him, affirmative or negative Sheppard had no idea.

He entered the room.

SGASGASGASGASGA

The prisoner looked Sheppard up and down but made no immediate move. So far, so good, thought Sheppard.

"You are Colonel John Sheppard," the voice that spoke sent chills up John's spine. So like his friend but with a deep echo that removed all humanity from it – this was not the man he was talking to – that he had to remember.

"I am, but you can call me Colonel, or how about John?"

The prisoner stepped forward and cocked its head, peering at John with those familiar eyes. "You seek to build a connection with me, make us 'friends' – standard interrogation technique for a culture as weak as yours."

"Our weak culture trapped you didn't we?"

The prisoner smiled, coldly and without any true feeling.

"And what about you," prompted Sheppard. "What can I call you?"

Again that smile. "I know what you'd like to call me… the name of this body that even now causes you so much pain, so much loss."

Sheppard forced his face to maintain an emotionless façade and closed the distance, forcing the prisoner to hesitate, ever so slightly but the Colonel noticed.

"You're not him," said Sheppard quietly.

Waiting five breaths the prisoner finally responded. "No – but I have his memories, I know all that he was," he raised a hand and put it to Sheppard's face, the Colonel only slightly flinched even though it was obvious pressure was being applied.

"I know," he whispered, his voice losing its echo when this low, "How much you want to save him; I know you want to undo the damage and be the hero riding in to save the day…but just like all the others he is lost to you forever."

The prisoner stepped away and turned his back. "You should know that he felt nothing for you but contempt; you are a weak and ineffectual leader." He turned, enough so Sheppard could see his profile and the sneer that crossed his lips. "Your lack of direction and inability to act will bring about the destruction of your people, I pity you, the pain you feel now is but a prelude to the agony that waits."

Sheppard maintained his mask until exiting the chamber; only once the door closed did he slam a fist into the wall.

"Fuck!"

"Sheppard," rumbled Ronon. "Its not him, it can't be – he would never-."

Sheppard held up a hand and surprisingly Ronon fell quiet.

"That's the problem Ronon," he said tightly, his anger barely contained and fighting with remorse. "You know him better than anyone – that was more than stolen memories… he would know exactly how to hurt me, and he did."

They both looked at the monitor where the person who had once been their trusted friend and comrade and so much more stood impassively staring back. The face and the body were the same yet changed. He wore only black mesh pants, tight without being revealing – he was bare otherwise. They had removed the armour that covered his upper torso but there had been no clothing underneath it.

His physique was thinner, more athletic and less muscular – the implants gave him the strength he needed. Spread across his chest and upper arms were circular latticed tattoos, feint but visibly metallic; copper and silver, one was even a blue-gold. McKay had surmised that they interfaced with the armour and provided extra-sensory functions. A tattoo also existed across his cheek and back to behind his ear. It was invisible now but their scans had located it.

"Its why you can't go in there," continued Sheppard. "He wants us to hurt him, kill him – on some level Evan Lorne is still in there and if he can hurt me that easily… he could provoke you so much quicker."

The anger on Ronon's face fell away and he allowed his pain to show, here in front of the two men he trusted most. Sheppard and McKay said nothing, not even when the big man traced a finger along Evan's face on the screen.

"Then there's hope," whispered Ronon, his voice almost breaking. "I will not let him go a second time."

_Tbc…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, slight Lorne/Sheppard, Radek/Cadman  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Two

The lunchroom was almost full when Sheppard entered and took a seat up the back, Chuck and Radek were already there so he was able to blend in with the science staff. This was the first clue that the room was half full of new recruits – the fact that they segregated themselves from non-military personnel. After several weeks and enough missions they would learn that here in Pegasus there was no such thing as 'civilian' and they would mix just like everyone else; that or they would be packaged home – Sheppard had no time for soldiers who refused to accept reality.

Probably because he sat with Radek and Chuck the table of marines did not notice him – so that he was able to hear their conversation. A big guy, Texan by his accent, was holding court with a bunch of newbies.

"The first thing you guys gotta learn – we don't have any friends in Pegasus, even our so called allies can't be trusted; you wanna survive trust in yourself and the marines." His voice lowered as the others leaned in, as if he was conveying some secret. "Even some of our own can be turned – they don't tell us much but I've 'eard stories – the previous XO, they got him boxed up in a cell on the sub-level."

Sheppard stifled a hiss – Lorne's recovery operation had been classified to senior staff and his team-mates; the Texan had got the location wrong but the fact he knew they had Lorne back was a concern. He would have to have a chat with everyone involved since if Earth heard about it Sheppard didn't even want to consider what their orders would be.

"_Air-force_ Major he was." This brought a few sniggers from the other marines which served to fuel the big man's story-telling. "Course, no marine would have allowed himself to be caught like that; they say some alien super-computer took him, hollowed him out like a pumpkin at Halloween and stuffed him full of hardware."

"What, like some kind of 'Borg'?" asked a fresh faced private, probably didn't even shave yet thought Sheppard.

"Yeah," chuckled the Texan, rubbing his jaw. "Some of the others have said that, not a sci-fi nut myself but they told me what it meant – 'course if that's true I say we should put it down before it calls its friends… but that'll never happen."

"Why not?" another asked, Sheppard couldn't see who this time.

The Texan paused and looked around, still not noticing Sheppard behind him. "Word is the XO had a _special_ relationship with one of our pet aliens."

"Special relationship?" the same one asked again.

"Yeah," snorted the Texan, "The kind you don't ask 'bout – and for some fucked up reason that alien faggot has more clout round here than us marines."

Sheppard stood, knowing now he'd have to intervene before this went too far – but he was stopped as three marines, long-termers, walked up to the table. One, Sergeant Hillmer nodded at Sheppard, letting him know they'd handle this. It had been a long day so Sheppard turned to Chuck and Radek, motioning the door and they left with him. He just didn't have time to get involved and Hilmer was a good marine, she'd set the new people straight and if it ended in punches – Sheppard was fairly sure he'd never receive a report.

SGASGASGASGA

Chuck went straight for command but Radek walked with Sheppard as they went to a transport lift. Silence reigned until they exited half-way across the city and Radek cleared his throat.

"There has been quite a few people talking Colonel – I think it is what you call an open secret now."

"As long as nobody sees him its still just a story," muttered Sheppard. "Besides, he doesn't _look_ like a 'Borg' does he?"

Radek shook his head. "I had to ask what that meant first time and was put through six hours of tortuous American television – honestly Colonel, where do your people get their ideas?"

"Hey," said Sheppard defensively. "I'll have you know Star Trek is a landmark production and come on…we live in another Galaxy with space vampires."

Radek gave a non-committal grunt as they entered a long hallway ending in a large set of re-enforced blast doors. Only after they both had their DNA scanned and codes input did the doors release in a hexagonal iris-like fashion, slamming shut as soon as they stepped over the threshold. Sheppard glanced back at the doors.

"That was Chuck's work wasn't it?"

Chuckling quietly Radek nodded. "He is more Star Wars fan I believe."

They came to the control room where Cadman was on duty.

"What's up today Major, anything new?" Sheppard asked and received a strange look from the Major.

"Sorry sir," she answered. "Still getting used to the new pronoun. Dave's taken him for a run – so far they've gone past three active consoles and Nox hasn't even looked at them."

She pointed at a monitor where 'Nox' was running next to Doctor Parrish, another member from the rescue team who had volunteered to help.

They'd refused to call him Lorne until they could be sure if it was him or the program running him. So far all he did was claim to be the _integration_, as he called it. Nox had come about since he prattled off some designation that only the short name could be understood.

The two runners stopped, Parrish obviously breathing hard but Nox just stood in that half-alert stance he seemed to have. It was unnerving at first to see; any human, even when standing still, would make little movements, muscle twitches, hand clenches… but not Nox. He just stood like a statue, his eyes constantly roaming and for all the lack of movement the air of threatened action hung like a cloud over him.

They could see Parrish engaging him in conversation and Nox gave some short responses. Strangely Nox had not tried to antagonise Parrish like he had Sheppard and Cadman and later McKay. Perhaps he did not consider it possible that Parrish would or could try and hurt him, but then it was difficult to understand exactly what Nox was trying to achieve. As if he knew Sheppard was watching Nox turned to the camera – Parrish saw his look and motioned back, once again it was surprising that Nox obeyed and they jogged off, towards his quarters.

Cadman shook her head and switched monitors. "Last time we spoke he brought up every death our team had suffered, and tried to blame it on me – calling me stupid and lazy and-," she hesitated but continued with a stony expression that failed to hide her hurt. "He called me a weak and ineffectual female, saying that Lorne was repulsed by my very presence."

"You know what he was trying Major, you gotta let it go." Sheppard knew well enough how sharp Nox's barbs were, knowing exactly how to hurt them.

Radek walked over and in a rare display of affection put a hand on Cadman's shoulder. "He wants your anger, remember what Doctor Keller says – he has some mutated form of survivor's guilt, he wants us to hurt or kill him rather than see truth." Radek shrugged and went to work on one of the terminals, he sighed after a short time. "According to this Rodney was here late again, that man will work himself to death."

Sheppard raised his eyebrows at that. He hadn't seen much of McKay lately but hadn't thought much on it. They had been on a few missions but mostly it was him, Ronon and Teyla. The only way to keep Ronon focused and out of here was to go off-world.

"What's he working on – I thought we had the implants worked out."

"We do," answered Radek. "It is the 'how' of the integration that seems difficult to fathom. We know what each implant does but not how it works with the others, Rodney believes if we can figure that out we can fix Lor-… Nox."

Shaking his head Sheppard checked his firearm and went to enter the next secured area. He didn't voice it but knew he didn't have to because they were all thinking it. What if he couldn't be 'fixed', maybe Lorne really was dead and this thing they had was just hardware?

SGASGASGASGA

With Sheppard gone Cadman wasted no time in jumping up and immediately planting herself in Radek's lap, stifling any protest with a deep and passionate kiss. After a minute of that the scientist finally held her back and stifling a laugh he pushed his glasses back in place.

"Laura," he murmured, avoiding another kiss. "While I think the Colonel knows about us you are supposed to be on watch."

She laughed and looked back on the monitor. "They're fine – besides, if Nox had wanted to escape he could have by now."

Radek frowned, "What did you do?"

"My own little test," said Cadman sweetly but with a twist to her smile. "I left several holes in the security system, hard to find but Lorne, or Nox, would have had no problem detecting and using them to his advantage – he didn't and that tells me he wants to be here."

"That could have been dangerous."

She sighed and touched his forehead with hers. "I had to know." She leaned in and clutched him tight and once more Radek was amazed that they had ended up together – or more accurately that she agreed to go out with him.

"Sometimes I think he's so lost that he doesn't want to find his way back – but then I test him and he stays; my logic may not be up to your standards but it works for me," she whispered the last, "I can't give up on him but sometimes its so hard."

Radek smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I think your logic is perfect."

SGASGASGASGASGA

"Doctor Parrish."

"Colonel."

"Nox." Sheppard nodded at him but received little more than a glance in return. Parrish grabbed his bag and left, he never said much but had then he never failed to turn up for a run. Parrish wouldn't say why he persevered and Nox wouldn't discuss why he allowed the man to take him running.

Nox stripped off his shirt and threw it on the small bed. While his endurance was impressive and he could out-jog Parrish easily his body still perspired like any normal human. He put his thumbs into the elastic of his gym shorts but paused and turned his head, giving Sheppard a challenging grin before whipping the pants off. It seemed Nox had little aversion to nudity but knew that it could make some uncomfortable.

Sheppard tried to seem unaffected but knew it was useless, his quick look to the side had been noticed and Nox smiled in victory.

"This body needs to shower Colonel, were you going to join me?" asked Nox as he strutted to the side-room where bathroom facilities had been set up.

"That's fine," said Sheppard with a smile of his own. "I can talk from here and I'm not the audience you want." He received no answer and heard the water start up.

"I'm here to discuss possible threats Nox, its time we discussed who and what made you." To be honest Sheppard had wanted to discuss the details earlier but Keller had warned against it, already concerned that although he had shown no signs of being suicidal – apart from trying to get them to kill him, Nox may suffer some kind of neural shut-down if asked to divulge his former captors identity.

"Sorry Colonel," yelled Nox, the metallic echo worse when louder, "I can't quite hear you out there."

Sheppard knew it to be a lie but was in no mood to play that game today. He went into the bathroom and took a seat facing the shower – some games he could play. Nox was lathering himself up to the side of the water-stream and turned to smirk at the Colonel.

"When we lost Major Lorne he was on a planet inhabited by farmers with little in the way of advanced technology," Sheppard continued, not about to repeat his former question. "They obviously didn't do this," his hand indicated Nox's body, even though apart form the tattoos no technology was apparent. Under the hot water the tattoos almost glowed, their metallic nature becoming more visible when exposed to energy. They could feed off ambient heat apparently, their internal power supply so efficient that they required little more energy than a wristwatch would to keep them activated. Keller, with McKay's help, had ensured most of them could not fully activate since some may be weapons – but they had to at least keep them in some kind of stand-by mode or Nox's organic organs started shutting down.

"They did not," answered Nox flatly. He washed away the body-soap and even seemed to be enjoying the feel of the water as he ran hands over his now clean skin, giving the tattoos special attention. Perhaps he was doing it subconsciously or maybe he was trying to unnerve Sheppard? The exact psychology of Nox was impossible to determine and there was no way they were risking exposure by calling in an expert; besides which Keller was quite well versed on the subject and kept them informed as best possible.

Several times Nox had been either subtly or overtly trying to seduce Sheppard, again whether it was on purpose or just for amusement they could not figure. Sheppard suspected it was to further antagonise him but he played along to a certain extent – if he had a problem with such things he would never had survived in Pegasus this long.

Ronon was a different matter. The first time he watched Nox do it Cadman had to block him entering the room and it had taken two hours of beer and movies to convince Ronon that he, Sheppard, had no intent of taking up Nox's offers. Nox was no doubt well aware Ronon would be watching and Sheppard figured that's why he did it – more need to punish those around him and himself.

"So you want to tell me what happened?" asked Sheppard a little more softly. They were entering delicate territory and he had no idea how this might play out. The fact was if there was an alien civilisation with this level of technology they had to know if they were a threat, or a possible ally – knowing Pegasus they would be both. The Texan had been right about that.

Turning off the water Nox grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, not bothering to dry himself. They kept the heat higher than normal anyway to feed his implants so he would dry soon enough. Leaning on the basin and holding his arms clasped across his abdomen Nox stared off into space.

Sheppard kept his expression blank but inside he wanted to shout in anger. The stance, the arms and even the way he leaned back screamed that this man was Major Evan Lorne – but Nox still claimed that 'entity' was dead. They had all had similar experiences; be it how he pronounced words, smiled, ate, his humour (he still had some) and even the way he blinked before looking up at you. All these actions were not a result of stolen memories – they were sub-conscious motions of a man who was not dead but could not admit it to himself.

"The Major's memory of that is difficult to access." Nox frowned, blinked and looked at Sheppard through dripping hair. "Is it not enough to know that you left him, he died and we retrieved the body for integration?"

Nox was trying to inflict another jab at Sheppard; they had left him – he had died because they had abandoned him. It was not entirely correct but enough truth to make it painful. It was enough for Sheppard to hear the catch in Nox's voice when he said 'you left him' –

_you left 'me'_

That is what Sheppard knew Nox wanted to say – but couldn't, not yet.

As a commander Sheppard may have been easier going than most but he was not a 'touchy feely' one, regardless of that he did want to go over and hug Nox, assure him that no-one had abandoned him. They weren't there yet though and he waited, seeing if Nox would elaborate.

"Integration?" he prompted.

Nox flexed an arm and traced a bronzed latticed wheel tattoo on his bicep. "You know of what I speak."

"I know you have technology in you, stuff we can barely understand… but why?"

Nox stood and walked past Sheppard. Following him out Sheppard waited as Nox put on clothes, black pants and a long-sleeved red and black spiral patterned shirt. For a man claiming to be a machine implanted in a man he had remarkable fashion sense.

"Why not," shrugged Nox. "Your culture can see it as recycling – ours saw a vessel that could be useful and acquired it."

Now that he was dressed and looked more Lorne than Nox Sheppard's temper flared just a little. "Listen to yourself – recycling… a vessel?" He walked over and grabbed Nox, no Lorne, by the shoulders. "This is not just a vessel, not just a body!"

He pushed him back, only slightly but the fact that Nox gave way spoke volumes. "This is Evan Lorne," he poked a finger in the other man's chest. "You are Major Evan Lorne – whatever happened on that planet, no matter what's been done to you it doesn't matter – you are still that man."

Expecting an outburst, some kind of physical response Sheppard was surprised when Lorne/Nox did not move. The man's expression was blank and he did not try to get out of Sheppard's hold. His head moved from side to side very slowly.

"No," he whispered. "I am not."

"You have to be," answered Sheppard, his own voice almost breaking.

Nox looked confused for the first time. "You are all so adamant about this – why must I be this man, why is it so important that you have him back?"

Releasing him Sheppard stepped away. "Because there is someone else who is lost," unsure if he should continue but deciding it was time for some risks Sheppard continued, "This man cares for you very much and needs Evan Lorne back; if not we may lose you both."

At Nox's completely confused stare Sheppard's jaw fell open. While Nox had never mentioned Ronon and they had not allowed the two to meet he had thought Nox was simply avoiding the issue.

"Ronon," rasped Sheppard. "I'm talking about Ronon."

"I…" Nox squinted his eyes as only Lorne would do when perplexed. "I have no memory of this person."

Tbc…


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Pi Covenent

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Three

The Wraith hissed its dying breath and struggled uselessly against Ronon – there was little it could do since he had lopped off its hand earlier in the fight.

"Are you done," said Rodney in his higher pitch which Ronon knew meant he was scared but not panicked.

In answer he dropped the corpse and allowed a grin of triumph.

"Good," said Rodney, able now to interpret most of Ronon's non-verbal clues. "I believe I successfully blocked their transmissions so this planet should be safe – for now."

Silently cleaning his short sword on the Wraith's garment and striding over to pick up his fallen gun Ronon simply grunted in response.

"So um… I guess we really should head back now, I mean the Wraith are dead, we've saved the day again – don't look at me like that!" Rodney gestured to two other bodies at the edge of the clearing. "I did my share, which if you take into account the technical work may just work out to more than my share… Ronon, Ronon!"

It was half a minute before Rodney caught up, huffing dramatically even though Ronon knew he was fitter than that. With a thump on his back Ronon muttered a few words that could equate to 'good job' and that placated Rodney for the time being.

The walk back to the gate was at least an hour and half that was spent in silence, until Rodney thought it time to bring up a matter anyone in their right mind left well enough alone.

"I solved the feedback problem we were having when Nox's implants were activated separately – I was looking at it all wrong until Zelenka, well he suggested it but it was based on my idea so really the answer is therefore thanks to me." He paused to step over a fallen log and Ronon was pleased he also checked ahead for possible ambush – since the log may have been cut on purpose. After enough missions together and without Sheppard hand-holding him Rodney was finally learning to look out for himself, at least a little.

"You see they aren't so much separate pieces, its just we see the tattoos and think they are, but its more like a ultra-thin mesh embedded throughout most of his body; and I mean ultra-ultra thin, like almost quantum sized – that's why we didn't spot it at first. Well I would have but Keller insisted on having her medical input and that meant not so many biopsies and then she was concerned about the amount of scans; its not as if they're like x-rays, harmless… relatively harmless… a little bit of background radiation but no more than say, orbiting a Blue Giant – are you listening?"

Waiting to see that McKay saw the glare he was providing Ronon grunted a response. "Tiny mesh, implants yeah got it."

Rodney harrumphed but was satisfied. "The thing is I can now localise the implants not one-by-one but by studying the pattern when he does certain things."

"So?"

"So? Well I don't really know but its interesting isn't it – we'll have a better insight into how Nox works."

Rodney stopped walking and this time so did Ronon to turn and look at him. Rodney had on one of his more rarer expressions – one of empathy and shared pain.

"I know how hard it is – believe me I do understand." He took the moment to take a drink from his flask and offered it to Ronon who accepted. "Too many times we've lost people, only to get them back and realise they're not who they should be… when Carson, well you know – and Elizabeth, and then you." He gestured at Ronon. "Getting you off the Wraith enzyme, there were times when we thought…"

He didn't finish the sentence, thankfully. It was not something Ronon liked to remember.

"What I'm trying to say," continued Rodney, "Is that we never gave up – and we're not going to now."

They took up the walk again in silence but this time Ronon kept in step with Rodney.

"You know McKay," he said after a while. "I think you're becoming a people person after all, no matter what Zelenka says."

SGASGASGASGASGA

"Welcome back Doctor McKay, there's something we wanted you to look at, one of the orbits of the-."

"Yes yes, send an email," said Rodney irritably and left the control room. He needed a shower and then had to check on their latest research. He wouldn't have left at all but it was necessary to get Ronon off base or he went stir-crazy. Its not as if he hung around Nox's holding facility – far from it, but he could become more 'Ronon' than normal if he didn't manage to vent some anger; usually by killing Wraith.

"Ah Rodney," smiled Radek, catching him before he even got close to his quarters. "I'm glad to find you – we are getting some strange power readings and I needed to know if you-."

"What," snapped Rodney. "I haven't done anything, I've been offworld for two days."

"Yes," Radek wrinkled his nose. "I can tell – but you did install the back-up shield around command and I thought it may be interfering with the grid."

"No," said Rodney adamantly. "Separate power source, totally new cables – you think I'd make a rookie mistake like that?"

Radek chuckled at Rodney's use of words, he sounded more military every year.

"Fine, I will check elsewhere – oh and Sheppard wanted you in the Nox facility as soon as you returned."

"I bet he did," rumbled Rodney to an empty corridor.

SGASGASGASGA

"Took your sweet time McKay," said Sheppard through clenched teeth.

Rodney didn't even bother to answer, he had taken a shower but really needed sleep.

They entered Nox's secure area and found Nox in the rec room. It was about the same size as most others and had the usual variety of weights and equipment – minus any weapons. Nox himself was sitting cross-legged on the floor, in some state of meditation.

"Good morning Doctor McKay – how was the latest mission?"

"Life-threatening situations just aren't the fun they used to be," answered Rodney snidely, not bothering to question how Nox knew he'd been off-world, probably just a lucky guess or Parrish had told him; the man had no idea what 'need-to-know' really meant.

Nox opened his eyes and gestured for them to sit – as if he was the host. It was one of the few human characteristics that were very much not Lorne's. The Major was far from being arrogant enough to 'own' his prison and treat his guards as guests.

"I hear you wish to activate more of the _integration_ – allow me more power as it were?"

"That's true; I've worked out an algorithm that will map your structure by testing your responses when you use multiple systems."

"Mmm." Nox rubbed his chin thoughtfully in a very Lorne like manner and Rodney suppressed a sigh. Much as they called him Nox and tried to pretend, when he did things like this it was impossible not to think of him as their friend and comrade.

"Aren't you worried I might try to break out?"

"Frankly I think if you'd wanted to you would have by now," said Rodney truthfully. "I think you need us more than the other way around."

Nox looked from Rodney to Sheppard and raised an eyebrow. "That could change."

Sheppard snorted. "You mean when your people come to take you back – yeah, you ranted about that at first but its been a month and I don't see any of your friends yet."

Grinning Nox slowly stood. "Would you know them if they did – would you know where to look?"

They joined him and walked into the larger lab next door. At first they had led him here at gun-point but as time went on he came willingly – especially when he realised they weren't trying to remove the implants. He removed his shirt and lay on the half-raised table and Rodney started attaching probes.

As Sheppard watched he glanced back at the camera, wondering if Ronon had arrived and was watching. The big man did sometimes come to check but stayed away more than Sheppard would have thought. Maybe it was too painful or he was practical enough to realise there was little he could do? The former Runner had shown remarkable coping abilities before and Sheppard had little doubt he was holding up now.

Of course he would never have guessed that his Satedan team-mate and XO would form a relationship. Sex, a short affair or even a 'friends-with-benefits' agreement Sheppard could understand – he'd had enough of those, just not with any male members; well maybe the once back in the academy he thought wryly. That was more to piss off his father more than anything else.

The first he'd heard of their bond was after Lorne had been MIA on Kolj, a farming world formerly free of any Wraith activity. Covering his team's escape from a band of Wraith worshippers Lorne had not made it to the gate. They sent three teams immediately but the only signs were of a massive fire-fight that had left the dialling mechanism damaged and a dozen worshipper bodies. With a Wraith hive closing they had to split their people between evacuating the small farming community and searching for Lorne. Success of the former but failure on the latter.

Ronon had disappeared after that, dialling back to Kolj and saying they'd hear from him when he found something. Sheppard had seen the look in his eyes when he returned with nothing, not a track and not a rumour. He knew the look of someone who had lost something dear to them. After a few beers Ronon had opened up to him, as much as Ronon ever could and Sheppard was surprised that quite a few others knew about it. Lorne's team, Radek, Chuck, Keller and even McKay – how he'd never let slip Sheppard would find out one day but he was sure it had something to do with he and Ronon once competing for Keller's affections.

"Done," announced Rodney triumphantly.

"What? You barely flicked a switch?" said Sheppard incredulously. His answer was an arrogant smile.

For his part Nox did not appear to care but just stood up and removed the wires, staring at them impassively.

"Do you feel any different?" asked Sheppard carefully, his hand unconsciously hovering near his empty holster.

Nox saw his movement and smiled. "I find Doctor McKay annoying but endearing and you utterly transparent."

"You know," stated Sheppard. "For all your claims of being an integrated network of implants you have quite the sense of humour, not to mention a wealth of other emotions we noticed – anger, depression, glee, irritation… lust."

"This body," Nox pointed at his frame. "Still produces all the chemical and bio-neural compounds to facilitate emotional response – if I did not utilise them they would build up to toxic levels. Besides, your supposition that _integration_ must be cold and lifeless, free of what you think are biological factors, is entirely incorrect." He moved and put the shirt back on. They had to provide smaller sizes than Lorne's since as Nox he was thinner. Keller had let slip that with a sleeker physique and less pronounced muscles he looked healthier than Lorne ever had; the fact she said it with a blush belied what she really meant.

_Integration responding…_

Nox allowed his face to betray nothing but he could feel his various systems coming back on-line. It was like getting the use of sight back after being blinded. The room now seemed so small compared to what he could sense beyond his immediate surroundings. The control room behind the first set of blast doors only twenty meters distant; the second set of re-enforced blast doors to the spillway between piers. Systems he could easily overcome, but they were right. For the moment he had no-where to go.

He frowned as he picked up a signal that should not be in Atlantis and without thinking through consequences he turned to Rodney.

"Doctor, there is a Wraith transmission emanating from within Atlantis. I recommend blocking it immediately and going to lock-down stage 3."

"How did you? Never mind." Rodney furiously checked his equipment but shook his head. "I can't find anything."

"Here," Nox said and stepped forward, laying his hand on the console. It burst to life and he narrowed down the bandwidth he was searching for.

"But that's, oh!" exclaimed Rodney and turned to Sheppard. "Its true, a Wraith code being transmitted from Pier 2, sub-section 35."

As Sheppard started issuing orders into his radio Rodney spun back to Nox and pointedly looked down at his hand still on the console. "It won't let you into any critical systems you know – I made sure of that when we set this up."

Nox turned his head only slightly, for the most part he was ignoring Rodney as he downloaded information; nothing critical but he required data.

Rodney used the second monitor to check what he was downloading. "Equipment maintenance, radio logs, personnel health checks, room allocations…" his voice faded as several files were brought up, specifically Lorne's original team and SGA1.

"Sheppard." Rodney called but was ignored. He stared at Nox, whose face had gone blank and the tattoo across his cheek, normally invisible, darkened considerably to a deep bronze. The normally restricted files opened and all their information was immediately downloaded to Nox. Background, families, places of origin and photos.

"Colonel!" That got his attention and Sheppard turned, swearing when he looked at the monitor.

Upon it was a mug-shot of Ronon.

Nox lifted his hand from the console and put it towards the photo, the tattoo fading immediately.

"I feel a sense of loss when I see this man," he spoke, more to himself than to the two others. "Yet how can that be? I have never met him, he is not a member of the Covenant."

Sheppard and Rodney looked at each other, mouthing the word Covenant, Nox had never mentioned it before.

"That's… Ronon, I told you about him remember," prompted Sheppard. "You and him, you were friends, really close."

Nox looked confused, his hand falling and he shook his head. "I – it is difficult, I can feel the pain, this body 'hurts' for this man." He put hands to each side of his head, "It is as if the pain is mine… but that cannot be."

Sheppard went to say more but stopped as a distant explosion was heard, followed by the room shaking. The lights went out as did all power and they were left in complete darkness.

"Oh shit," muttered Rodney.

Tbc…


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Pi Covenent

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Four

In the green light from the glo sticks Sheppard handed out weapons and spare ammunition. He hesitated only a moment before handing one to Nox.

"You'll be in just as much danger but remember – one false move."

Nox studied the proffered weapon. "You think I will help defend this facility?"

"You _did_ inform us of the danger," informed Sheppard sarcastically.

For that Nox did not answer but did take the P90, he gave it a once over then slipped it under his arm – in exactly the right position. Sheppard wisely said nothing but knew by the way that NOx held the weapon it was not a stolen memory. There is a way an experienced soldier handles a familiar weapon that is different from any recruit no matter how much training they've had.

"Cadman, take the flank with McKay; me and Nox will take point." He gave Nox a hard stare. "I'm relying on his abilities to forewarn us."

Nox returned the stare. "You say it like I have ESP Sheppard – it is a simple matter of detecting modulating wavelengths that differ from the surrounding static matter." He stepped up closer. "I can separate an individual out of millions, the bio-electric field you create is as unique as DNA – add to that the Wraith have a decidedly different signature from humans."

"So… it will be simple for you then?" asked Sheppard, not sure if Nox had actually just offered to help or was making a mild threat.

In answer Nox started walking to the door, seemingly unconcerned if they were following. Out in the corridor there was no light at all. It was a moonless night and even if it had been day the area had no windows.

Behind them McKay swore as he bumped into the wall. A dull tapping could also be heard.

"Give it up McKay," whispered Sheppard.

"I just find it hard to believe the Wraith can dampen every power source from that distance," McKay replied, his voice not so low as he tried to activate the dead scanner. His voice trailed off as Nox turned to him.

"Not every power source," muttered Nox.

In the darkness his left eye glowed a soft blue and thin blue lines crossed his cheek with the same hue.

"That's it," McKay snapped his fingers, so much louder in the dark. "Bio-energy, the Wraith use it in most of their technology and so does Nox here – perhaps I could configure some kind of -."

"No time," hissed Sheppard.

"Two of them, twenty meters on the right," whispered Nox and cocked his weapon. Sheppard followed suit.

"So um," Sheppard quickly asked. "You blast proof?"

A hand on his chest silenced him. It was Nox's and it forcefully kept him behind – whether this was his way of answering Sheppard wasn't sure.

"They're here," yelled Nox and started firing.

SGASGASGASGA

Relying on sound Ronon swept his blade in an arc and felt the tip slice through flesh – the Wraith did not even hiss in pain but it stepped back. Ronon waited, he had wounded it but for a Wraith that would mean very little. A whisper of air behind him was all the warning he got, but it was enough. Spinning and thrusting the sword forward he felt the resistance as it entered a body. Wasting no time he pulled it back and swung horizontally, the strain this time was heavier as the blade sliced through neck tendons and separated head from body.

"I think that was the last one," whispered Chuck to his right.

A stun blast streaked past Ronon's shoulder and in the brief illumination the Wraith who had fired shuddered as a spray of bullets riddled its body. As more stun blasts erupted from that corner there was the bright flash of the P90 arcing across the room. Several more Wraith must have gone down but multiple stun blasts hit their saviour and the white-blue charges lit him up.

Ronon gasped as he saw as if in strobe the face of Lorne contorted in, not pain exactly but determined desperation as a dozen more blasts hit him. He dropped to his knees; any other man would already be down, more likely dead from that many hits.

At that moment the lights faded back in and they were faced with four Wraith standing across the room, weapons raised and Lorne between them. Luckily Lorne dropped the rest of the way and Ronon brought his pistol up, hoping that the lights meant he had power again

Two went down to his blasts, a third was taken by Chuck's 9mm but the fourth leapt across and engaged him hand-to-hand. Although he would never admit it Ronon was not exactly as battle fit as once he was; Atlantis had made him a little soft. Of course his idea of soft was not being able to kill twenty Wraith and easily defeat a twenty-first.

A blow from his opponent dropped him and the Wraith's hand flayed out in preparation for feeding. He knew the pain that would accompany it and thought fleetingly that at least in his last moments Lorne was close by, even if he was unconscious or dead.

As the Wraith's hand swung down Ronon could see it as if in slow motion; the gaping slit of the feeding palm, the Wraith's victory sneer as its nostrils flared.

This was it.

A black and red blur crossed his eyes and another arm was holding the Wraith's in place, then ever so slowly backwards. With a massive heave Lorne threw the Wraith across the room where Sheppard had arrived in the doorway and took the Wraith out in a burst of gunfire.

With their faces so close together Ronon barely breathed as he looked into the eyes of his friend and lover. Until now he'd only seen him on the video feeds and it didn't quite convey how very much he was Lorne and yet not. One eye faded from a bright unnatural blue to normal human and the eyebrows knit together as Lorne seemed to both recognise him but not be happy about it. The worst part was his smell, the masculine sweat that Ronon was so familiar with; it permeated his nostrils and sent the blood rushing to his groin.

Reaching out to touch Lorne the man saw his move and jumped back.

"Don't touch me!" the voice was low, threatening and metallic – not Lorne but this Nox they had told him he claimed to be.

Ronon went to say something but a siren interrupted him and the lights surged, in less than a second the doors slammed shut, cutting Sheppard off and just missing slicing him in half.

Across the room Chuck stood from checking the Wraith bodies. "That's the quarantine program – must have come on-line with the power."

Ronon heard him but had not taken his eyes off Lorne, or Nox if he insisted. Having resisted coming into contact with him all this time Ronon now regretted not doing it sooner and realised he was not as reconciled as he had believed.

He cared for this man, maybe even loved him.

Nox stood, breathing heavily and hunched slightly, his hand out to prevent Ronon coming closer. There was evidence of pain on his face, physical pain and Ronon thought of all the Wraith blasts Nox had taken. Any human would be dead, even if he had some way of absorbing the blasts the sheer amount of energy had to have some detrimental effect on him. That effect was becoming apparent as Nox dropped to his knees and shuddered, an arc of electricity snaked across his chest and shot up to the ceiling, his face tattoos flared in tandem with the release.

"Stand back," shouted Ronon to Chuck uselessly; the man was already against the far wall. Nox spread his arms out and gave a high scream in that human/metallic voice, the sound resonating through Ronon's bones and his heart. Several arcs shot out and earthed against wall and ceiling; it only lasted a few seconds before Nox crumpled to the floor, wisps of smoke curling up from his clothes.

SGASGASGASGASGASGA

_Systems re-initialised_

_Diagnostic program running…_

_Multiple damage points detected, biological failure imminent due to Integration circuit overload_

_Isolate and reroute primary Integration…_

_Warning, isolating Integration will render host vulnerable_

_Risk is acceptable; proximity of organic life-form 'Ronon' improves survival chances_

_Error; what is a 'Ronon'?_

_Ronon is life, protection, comfort – comply with isolation_

… _compartmentalising of Integration commencing in five-four-three-two…_

As he held Lorne and watched his body seemingly burning from the inside Ronon had never felt so useless. With his head in his lap he felt for a pulse but could not find one, nor breathing or hint of life. The only sign of anything was the pulsing tattoo across his face that went from bronze to blue like a heart beat. His eyes were open and unfocused and the one near the tattoo was glowing an electric blue. He had checked and wherever the tattoos were the skin was starting to raise and burn like a scold – whatever power discharge he had attempted must not have been enough.

"C'mon Evan," he muttered. "You never gave up on anything – don't start now."

The blue eye suddenly faded to his natural colour and the tattoo winked out, leaving only a red outline of where it had been. Lorne's body, that had been quite rigid went limp, then shuddered as he coughed and drew in a deep breath, his eyes looking around frantically before focusing on Ronon above him.

For the briefest of moments his mouth crinkled up in a smile before his eyes rolled up and he fell back unconscious. Ronon checked, this time he was breathing and had a heartbeat, but it was weak and rapid.

Turning to Chuck who was working frantically on the door panel Ronon almost yelled, "We need to get out now!"

He looked back down at Lorne, ironically he seemed more human than ever before being unconscious and injured.

"Hang in there, I'll get you to safety – I promise." Ronon closed his eyes, praying to ancestors he hoped were watching. It couldn't end here, not now and not like this.

Tbc…


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The Pi Covenent

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Five

Stargate Command was just as he remembered it and as Lorne walked down the ramp he briefly wondered why it shouldn't be. The cold lifeless walls, bare concrete and dull red steel; it lacked the functional beauty of Atlantis while retaining the comforting familiarity of human technology. Of course, not everything was how it should be – the personnel in the gateroom were entirely unfamiliar to him and were ignoring him. Almost ignoring him, several gave him side-long glances but then returned to their tasks; as if he was of little interest and certainly not a threat.

The hallways were more of the same. No-one said hello, not even a nod of greeting or recognition; it was more a look of 'we know you're here' but their expressions were as cold as the surroundings. The sound was also strange since there wasn't enough of it. The usual humming of superconductors hidden behind the walls was missing, as was the hammering of constant repairs, construction and most of the background buzz of everyday human interaction.

For all these things it was not too much of a surprise to enter the General's office and find a hooded being at the desk. At any other time Lorne would have gone for his sidearm, raised an alarm – hell he would have dived across the desk if he thought it any good. The slightly refractive qualities of the hood and dark garment tugged at Lorne's memory but he couldn't quite place it. The hood was also too dark to see a face, if there even was one.

"Please, take a seat," said the being, its voice multi-tonal and far from human – not Goa'uld but similar in tone. The hand that motioned had pale skin, almost dead in appearance and supported by a web of copper coloured metal with silver finger-tips that Lorne did recognise; a Goa'uld hand device! Somehow he knew this was not a Goa'uld and he was beginning to suspect he was not at Stargate command.

He remained standing and walked around the desk, reaching for the hood the being did not resist or turn away.

The hood fell back and Lorne stared into his own eyes.

His face, his eyes and his body – but different.

The eyes were black with tiny dots of glowing blue, interweaving webs flowed across cheek and jowl, spiral in nature and reminded Lorne of Celtic designs he'd studied in art class. The skin, like the hand, was pale and lifeless but far from inanimate. The designs were raised, like scars and Lorne wondered if this is how he would one-day look.

"Like what you see?" sneered his doppelganger and only his practiced self-control kept Lorne in place.

"Nox," he answered and the being smiled in triumph.

"In the… flesh," it laughed and stepped even closer, the breath ghosting across Lorne's face. "Clever boy – you manoeuvred me to compartmentalise _Integration_, locking me away." The silver finger tips traced down Lorne's cheek and rested on his neck, right on his pulse so that Lorne could feel the chill of the metal device.

"You believe you now have control?"

Lorne met its stare. "I've had time to study you, learn how you operate – all I needed was to push you in the right direction."

Nox stared into space, searching its memory. "The battle with the Wraith," it murmured. "Taking on so many, without assistance, was strategically unsound – I would never make that mistake."

"Yet _you_ did," smiled Lorne. "And in doing so gave me my chance – you locked me away and now must suffer the same fate." He pushed Nox back and stepped away, going for the door and what he knew was an exit from whatever place this was.

"Don't forget," snapped Nox, forcing Lorne to halt despite himself. "I am you, I know what you know – your memories are my memories."

"Not all of them," smirked Lorne.

"Ronon," nodded Nox.

Lorne turned around, no longer fearing this reality and seeing it for what it was. "Just a tiny fraction I hid from you – a small collection of memories when compared with a life-time… but it was enough. In your arrogance, your belief in the power of _Integration_ you ignored that what I held back was the very core of who I am."

"And what now?" Nox came around the table, his clothes shimmered to match Lorne's military uniform. "We are still one and the same – there is no you without me, you think you can just remove me?"

"No," said Lorne, shaking his head sadly. "I don't understand you, or your kind – but I know that our existence is symbiotic." He looked to the door. "The others, out there, they are aware of what's happened?"

"A small link has been established," said Nox simply. "You need not fear, they cannot exert control and even if they could…"

Lorne put his hand to the door but paused. "Nox, we don't have to be enemies."

"We're not," spoke Nox, the room fading around him. "I hope you understand that in time."

SGASGASGASGASGA

"Doc, what's happened – is there any change?" said Sheppard quickly as he jogged into the room. They had finished clean-up and the quarantine was lifted; his very first thing once they were threat free had been to come directly here.

"He'll be fine," said Keller. "The burns are superficial and he has rapid healing abilities due to the implants."

"You mean," Sheppard gestured up and down Lorne's body. "They're still working, that didn't burn them out?"

"I'm sorry, no," Keller shook her head sadly. "We estimate he absorbed over thirty stun blasts, the energy would be equivalent to being in a microwave set to overdrive – but he's alive and the implants are still operating, although their energy waves have changed but I can't tell what effect that will have."

Sheppard went and stood next to the bed, looking over at Ronon who sat on the other side, his feet up on the side and arms crossed. He may not have left Lorne's side but he was at least still looking as tough as ever.

"I'm afraid," explained Keller. "That this doesn't change anything, with the implants he will still be Nox."

"No," croaked a voice from the bed. "Nox is… boxed," Lorne smiled at his own bad joke and it was almost enough for Sheppard to believe him. "Its me, maybe not one hundred percent but Major Evan Lorne reporting in… sir."

His eyes flicking to Ronon, who had gone completely still, Sheppard nodded slowly. "I would like to believe that, but-."

"But nothing Sheppard," said Ronon in a low voice. "It's Evan."

Lorne turned to Ronon, a look of both delighted surprise and apprehension crossing his features. "I think the Colonel has a point Ronon," he brushed Ronon's hand lightly, quickly and usually Sheppard would have missed it and wondered how many times he had. "You can't afford to trust me – I don't know if I trust me."

Ronon ignored his words and instead addressed Keller. "He good enough to go?"

"Well I'd like to run more tests, and then there's security to consider-."

Giving a feral grin Ronon reached down and tossed some clothes at Lorne. "That's doc speak for good to go." He spun to Sheppard before he could say anything. "As for security he'll be in my custody."

The Colonel chewed his bottom lip. "Its not that simple Ronon, we can't just release him back to the population – for his own safety as well as our own." Sheppard was thinking of the Texan marine and others who might think like him – who knows what they would try and do to someone they suspected a traitor?

Ronon must have known what he was getting at for he just gave that shrug. The one that said 'yeah, so what' and meant he would do what he pleased. Sheppard let several seconds go by before shaking his head in defeat.

"Low profile and avoid confrontations – just report in regularly okay?"

Lorne paused in the motion of pulling on a shirt and gave Sheppard a quizzical look. "Colonel, strategically speaking that's pretty reckless."

Sighing and stepping forward before clasping a hand on Lorne's shoulder Sheppard dipped his head. "Which is something only my XO would say."

SGASGASGASGASGA

"This is where we first… where it all began."

Across the room Ronon smiled in that predatory fashion and started circling Lorne as if he was at an auction. Lorne knew this game and kept his eyes on Ronon's at all times, turning only when he had to.

"No it didn't."

"Fine," countered Lorne. "Where it started for me."

"Really?" said Ronon gruffly, keeping just within his periphery. "MKJ-149, when we got dunked – you eyed me like a Satedan dance girl; think I didn't notice?"

Lorne laughed self-consciously – it felt good to laugh, to make his body respond without resistance. "I always found water dripping off a hard body difficult to resist."

"The Junter mission," continued Ronon. "A week in that cell without food or water – when you got me out I saw the way you looked at me, how you made Cadman take point so I had to lean on you."

"I was taking one for the team," smiled Lorne. "It was also a week without a shower – you reeked."

Ronon circled closer, his arms had gone loose but his legs betrayed his readiness and Lorne knew it wouldn't be long.

"You know how hard it was to get you alone for a training session?"

"My team figured they had to protect me from myself," explained Lorne, laughing inside at how transparent he'd been. Parrish had figured it out ages ago and when he spoke to Cadman she played interference – believing Ronon would tear him apart if he ever knew of Lorne's interest.

Stopping slightly to his side Ronon pointed one foot at Lorne. "At least you went down fighting."

Lorne knew Ronon was talking about more than just their first time. He also knew what Nox knew and the mission reports were clear. Ronon had come back for him, he'd seen evidence of the battle and probably knew better than Lorne of the aftermath.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Lorne tensed, knowing what was coming.

Ronon was Satedan, while that meant they had much in common culturally, showing interest and, for lack of a better term, courting, meant something completely different. Or not, in a schoolyard kind of way.

His first swing missed Lorne by a hand's breadth, on purpose as his leg came about to catch Lorne from the other side. Lorne was ready this time though, and his reactions were faster. He dived over the incoming leg, twisting back to grab it and throw Ronon off balance. Ronon almost went down but recovered quickly, using a succession of jabs to keep Lorne on the defensive. Blocking them easily, too easily compared to the past, Lorne realised how fast he was processing everything. In the time Ronon threw a punch Lorne had seen it coming, estimated speed and force and striking point – he could quite literally let Ronon hit nothing but air with millimetres to spare. His physical response was just as quick, his arm or leg would flash out in a blur and block the bigger man, counter-attacking with accuracy he never had in the past.

Ronon kept light on his feet, giving a murmur of surprise and a nod of satisfaction. Best of all for Lorne he could see how dark with desire Ronon's eyes were.

Lorne went on the attack. Short chops made Ronon duck where he was unable to prevent Lorne sweeping his legs from under him. Ronon rolled away but Lorne jumped, faster and further than should be possible, arcing through the air he landed astride the Satedan while he was half-way through a roll.

Ronon was pressed against the floor on his stomach and his struggling ceased. Lorne put his hands on the small of Ronon's back and slid forward, going underneath his thin fibre shirt and snapping it off his head. Ronon's back was a marvel that entranced him every time. Rock hard muscle under dark skin with lightly raised criss-crossed scars. Tracing a finger over the largest scar Lorne felt Ronon shudder beneath him; the movement combined with his own need made him grow hard and Ronon couldn't miss it from Lorne's position perched on his behind.

Pushing the matted hair aside Lorne nuzzled on the back of his neck, sending more shivers through Ronon's body. Secretly Lorne didn't like the hair, but would never say anything – some things you just knew weren't worth mentioning. Grinding his crotch into Ronon's ass Lorne let a growl of his own issue forth and Ronon wriggled, somehow slipping about to face up without throwing Lorne off. Looking into his face Lorne felt the months of captivity slide away; the time trapped within his own body had not been the torture he supposed and for now he was able to push it aside.

He pressed his lips against Ronon's, forcing an opening that he took full advantage of; moving his tongue around he tasted this man and the memory of it gave no justice. Ronon was spice and some sweet tang that Lorne had never worked out – but craved whenever they were apart. An arm snaked around his waist and Ronon lifted them both, his abs quivering with the effort but he did not break contact. This close Lorne could see right into Ronon's dark orbs, they too were as he remembered but contained a hint of something he had never seen in them – doubt!

Pulling back slightly Lorne palmed Ronon's cheek. "It really is me Ronon, seeing you gave me the last bit of strength to put Nox away."

"How much are you sure of that," murmured Ronon, tracing fingers across Lorne's cheek, right where the tattoo had been. Lorne looked across the room, in the mirror facing them and gasped – the tattoo was highlighting. In a heartbeat he stripped his shirt off, a black T it came away easily. Checking out his chest he swore, the spoked tattoos were pulsing away, in a myriad of bronze, silver and gold. He leapt up and backed away from Ronon.

"What's happening to me? He can't do this – he can't!"

Ronon stood slowly, his concern evident mixed with caution. "Maybe its not him, it could just be a reaction to… you know."

Lorne rubbed a hand over them as they already started to fade. "They do feed on ambient energy – heat, electricity," he mumbled more to himself than Ronon. "I don't feel any different – its just me, Evan Lorne. It is just me right? Maybe…" He looked up at Ronon, his eyes wide with fright. "What if Evan is dead, and I'm just a collection of dead memories – Nox said I'm nothing without him, if he meant-."

He was silenced by Ronon's lips and was pushed against the wall. "Memories don't 'feel' Evan," whispered Ronon, using Lorne's first name which he rarely ever did. "Memories can't think, and worry, and most of all," he kissed him again. "If you were just a memory you couldn't do this."

Ronon's hand went south and cupped Evan tightly, bringing him back to full hardness. He gasped and stared up at the ceiling, all thoughts of death and existence evaporating as Ronon palmed his shaft through the thin material of his pants. The same thought must have occurred to them both as Lorne shrugged down the waistline as Ronon hooked a thumb in them and whisked them off. Now it was skin on skin and Lorne groaned loudly as Ronon continued his hand-job while gently biting into his neck. Grabbing Ronon's head and pushing him in harder Lorne muttered, "More." He had never been this aggressive as he thrust in Ronon's hand but the Satedan must have liked it for he pulled back and gave a feral grin.

"Thought you'd never ask." He said gruffly, sliding down Lorne's body, one hand pushing against his chest keeping Lorne on the wall while the other curled around the base of his cock. The first touch of tongue on the underside of his shaft almost made Lorne cum on the spot but Ronon must have been ready and tightened his grip, preventing this from ending too soon. Lorne dared to look down just as Ronon engulfed his head, with seemingly practiced ease he took all of Lorne before pulling back and taking him again. The alternating heat of Ronon's mouth and chill of surrounding air heightened the pleasure and Loren starting panting as the orgasm built – gasping Ronon's name every other breath. Ronon must have known how close he was and sped up his motions until Lorne felt the familiar tightening at the base of his stomach before pleasure overtook everything else and he started thrusting; shooting into Ronon's mouth Lorne never thought to warn and Ronon didn't seem to mind as he swallowed every drop.

Unable to move Lorne lay against the wall, Ronon stood and held him – knowing he need this right now and ignoring his own need. This was what he'd come back for he realised. Not just the sex but the closeness, the proximity of his Satedan boyfriend. The term almost caught in his mind – they had never talked about it and both had pretended it was nothing serious. Now he knew better, and the way Ronon held him and smoothed his hair told him the feeling was mutual.

He may just love this man.

He smiled, truly smiled just for the hell of it since this nightmare had begun. His reflection in the mirror across the room almost removed that smile, the tattoos were still evident. He didn't feel any different though and hope flared – maybe Nox was wrong?

_How was it for you?_

Lorne flinched at the tonal voice and looked to the side to be faced by Nox – his features just as they had been in Stargate Command.

Then again maybe he wasn't.

Tbc…


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The Pi Covenent

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Six

Sharmilla-Joth stood before the screens, gazing at the site before her. As with most of their technology the screens were circular, half a dozen of them crossing in places. It presented an image that was cut and pasted at its edges, a juxtaposition effect that Sharmilla-Joth enjoyed very much. Many others must have too for the display panels had not changed in millennia.

The image upon it however was one that was new; and they did so much enjoy new things.

"The structure is functional yet pleasing is it not Kellerax-Six?"

Kellerax-Six smiled on all three faces and scuttled closer to the taller Sharmilla-Joth. He was both exasperated and amused by her continued need for speech. They could just share thoughts or immerse in the Integration; instead she wanted to speak – and he was fond of her enough to indulge.

"I find the towers unsightly, and unnecessarily high, given the structure's design purpose."

"Just because it has engines and can fly does not make it a ship," intoned Sharmilla-Joth. "Who are we to encumber the designers with our ideas of what is and what should be?"

Two of his faces harrumphed loudly, the third simply scowled. "You say that because you like it – were it not to your liking you would judge as I do."

"Perhaps… is it that you disagree with our action that you say this?"

Kellerax-Six would have shrugged had he shoulders. "We have met humans before; they are an interesting species but hardly worthy of such expenditure of resources." He hesitated slightly when she did not answer. "Of course it is your decision as Apex but it would be derelict of me not to mention such things."

There was laughter in her voice as Sharmilla-Joth answered. "Do not concern yourselves Kellerax-Six, I would be concerned if you did not object." She glided forth to better study the screens as they flickered from planetary interference. "These humans are special, they have travelled galaxies and triumphed insurmountable odds…It would be unwise for us to underestimate them; and besides." She moved back past him as the screens went blank. "It is _my_ decision."

SGASGASGASGA

The tears ran down his cheeks and there was not a thing he could do to stop it. This situation, the sight before him – it was all too overwhelming and he dared anyone not to do the same in his place.

"I'm sorry," Lorne managed to mutter before crumpling again.

"Its not funny," growled Ronon, standing before him in his temporary quarters.

Sneaking another peak between his fingers Lorne snorted again. "Its very funny, but not in a bad way."

"Call me when you can look me in the eye," Ronon spun and stalked to the door.

"Ronon." Lorne jumped up, sprinting around and blocking the exit. "Ronon please," he soothed, placing his hands on Ronon's chest. "I love it, really I do – I just never thought it would make you so…"

"What?" The question was both challenge and warning.

"Unbelievably hotter." He rubbed up against Ronon to show him he was being truthful, the taller man's eyes bulged then darkened as he felt the bulk of Lorne's honesty; he wasn't letting him off easy though.

"You still laughed."

"I just never thought you'd do it," he mumbled into Ronon's chest. There was no answer and he looked up; the expression on Ronon's face was one he rarely saw and, he put money on it, one others never saw. It was affection and happiness all mixed into one, and when it was aimed at you something inside snapped and all thoughts just melted away.

"I promised myself…" Ronon started but his words trailed off. He struggled out of Lorne's embrace and shoved him to the side, gently though so there was no hard feelings. "We have a meeting, you should be there."

"Me?" asked Lorne, while his existence was now known he had stayed out of the way, remaining, for the most part, in this tower where most of the non-Earth people lived – he found they were less likely to judge; both his current condition and his relationship with Ronon. "Are you sure John wants me there?"

Ronon frowned for just a moment. In the past Lorne would never have said 'John'. It would have been 'Colonel' or 'Colonel Sheppard'. He let it pass and shrugged. "He said both of us."

Lorne nodded. "Ronon, you really do look great – I love it."

The taller man frowned but decided Lorne was being truthful. He ran a hand through what was just now a thin layer of hair. "I haven't had it this short since I was a boy, I feel kind of exposed."

Pulling him back into the room Lorne started popping off buttons. "That's because you're about to be – John can wait a few more minutes I think."

Ronon wanted to argue but with Lorne's hands roaming over his chest and delving into his pants any resistance was soon overcome. Thinking how Sheppard would react was the furthest thing from his mind.

SGASGASGASGASGA

"There it goes again," muttered Chuck as the console beeped; that and his mumbling brought Radek over.

"It's the sixth planet this time, an orbital anomaly – only point zero zero three but enough to set off the alarm."

"Perhaps a comet, or a passing asteroid?" suggested Radek.

"Negative on both," answered Chuck. "We've picked up nothing that could affect an astral body the size of Six – it's a gas giant slightly bigger than Saturn!"

Muttering in his native language Radek checked his own tablet and shook his head. "I sent Rodney the data last time but he has not responded."

"Probably busy with…" Chuck paused and looked around the room. "Other things."

Radek nodded thoughtfully. "Send it to him anyway and I will ask him at the meeting."

Letting Radek leave Chuck brought up the system specs again. They had yet to come up with a proper name so had left it at naming the planets by number. All twelve were on the same plane, with only one more at an angle – so any changes were quickly noticeable. On his screen the sixth planet was highlighted in red as it showed a wobble in its path.

It would take something very big and dense to do that – and there was nothing else showing in the system. Chuck had been here long enough to know that nothing should be ignored, no matter how small. He flicked off the email but started working on simulations anyway; while not an astro-physicist he'd picked up a few things and the Atlantis system was very user-friendly.

In less than an hour he looked at his screen and double checked the figures. What he saw drained all the blood from his face and he leapt up racing for the meeting room.

SGASGASGASGASGA

The chair felt unusually hot and Lorne shifted then froze as he wondered if his movement was taken as guilt.

"I'm telling you Colonel, I have no memory of what happened. The first thing I know for sure is being back here… under guard."

"Well you weren't yourself," said McKay. "I can attest to that."

Lorne tried not to sweat as he saw Nox sitting in the empty chair, lounging and glaring at McKay.

_you really need to tell him to shut up_

Knowing better than to answer what the others would think a hallucination Lorne ignored him and tried to be more helpful to his team. "This other me, Nox, I know it wasn't really me but I do remember most of what he said, and did."

_what I did? Oh you have no idea do you?_

Gritting his teeth Lorne continued. "For what its worth I'm sorry – for what he put you through."

"It wasn't you – nothing else need be said," said Ronon, clasping a hand on his shoulder.

Sheppard stared at Ronon for a while, whether wondering to argue or getting used to the new look Lorne couldn't guess. His gaze swung back to Lorne.

"Look, I know this is hard, and sounds like we're interrogating you – but we have to try and understand. After all this we still have no idea who did this to you, how they got hold of ya and how you ended up in Genii hands."

Lorne felt another hand on his other shoulder, a hand covered in the metal of a hand device.

_tell them nothing – they're trying to trick you. You know Sheppard, he'd never ask unless he knew some of the answer_

Damn Nox but he was right. The friendly and relaxed aura Sheppard portrayed hid a sharp and sometimes ruthless mind and if Lorne knew anything a part of Sheppard had to admit that his former XO was not to be fully trusted anymore. How could he tell them anything when all he saw as flashed of things, fantastic and impossible things that even he could not believe.

_that's right_ the voice was right in his ear, the lips tickling his lobe. _give him the slightest excuse and you'll be back in that cage and they'll be calling you traitor_

"I'm sorry Colonel, there's nothing I can tell you," he spread his hands on the table, more to stop them shaking than express his openness. "I remember the fight, the Wraith and then… nothing, its blank."

McKay just raised his eyebrows. Sheppard rubbed his jaw and shielded his expression while Woolsey, who had remained quiet until now cleared his throat.

"You should know that we were all in agreement about keeping you secure, after so long we had called off the search…"

Lorne slumped. "You stopped looking?" he whispered.

McKay interrupted, "We had no way of knowing – everything told us you were dead"

_part of him still thinks that, they all do – your improvements are nothing but evidence to them that their Lorne is gone_

Woolsey flipped shut his folder. "I think that's enough for now, perhaps we can start again after lunch."

His temper boiled, which was unusual but Lorne couldn't help it. "Start again! What the fuck for? I've told you what I know, I was willing to die for my team and probably fucking did!" He stood and glared at each of them save Ronon who had stood with him. "And yet here I stand – alive!"

He breathed out slowly and lowered his words. "Even if you think Nox is still in here – he fought the Wraith for you too, or did you forget that?"

Behind them he saw Nox walking, staying silent but with a wary expression on his face, probably worried that Lorne was pushing it too hard. Screw him too!

"Its me," he said breathlessly, the emotion catching in his throat as he thumped his chest. "Others have returned with less evidence and you've taken them in – what changed? Why won't you believe me?"

Silence greeted him as they sat licking their lips, as though on some judging panel and Lorne felt ice creep up his spine as he saw doubt and guilt spread across their faces. His intention to leave was only interrupted by Chuck racing in.

The technician slammed down his tablet and spun it around.

"We have less than two days before it gets here."

Lorne could not understand the flow of data or the ream of equations, what he could see was an icon out by the sixth planet.

In that moment he knew and if he had felt ice before it was like liquid nitrogen now. He looked up at Nox.

Nox was gone.

Tbc…


	7. Chapter 7

Title: The Pi Covenent

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Seven

"We should be closing on their position, do you see anything?"

Sheppard leaned forward to better see through the Puddle-Jumper's forward screen but there was nothing but the dark expanse of space littered with stars.

"Negative, are you sure about this Rodney?"

"And just when have my calculations been wrong Colonel?"

"…"

"Look," continued Rodney, as if Sheppard had indeed argued the point. "Something that can change a gas giant's orbit, even minutely, has to be visible – evading sensors is possible but to actually cloak something that produces a gravity well of that magnitude… impossible."

"I don't know Rodney, impossible and Pegasus are usually mutually exclusive."

"Woah!"

"What? What is woah – woah is good or bad?"

In answer Rodney shoved his tablet over, on it a 3D lattice graphic warped down like a sinkhole. Sheppard, using the tablet as a guide brought up the HUD.

"If that's right the object should be directly in front of us, give or take thirty thousand kilometres."

Rodney copied Sheppard and leaned forward. "I don't see any- oh."

"Oh?"

Rodney turned to Sheppard, his face pale and suddenly very sweaty. "Change course right now! Get us out of here!"

Sheppard knew Rodney enough to not argue when he was like this and immediately veered to port and shifted to maximum speed.

"Why are we-." He was interrupted as the jumper started vibrating and several alarms went off.

Tapping furiously into the tablet McKay started yammering away. "Severe gravimetric distortions, sub-space is fluctuating – we have only seconds Sheppard!"

Sweat poured down Sheppard's face as his contorted in concentration – somehow the jumper responded to his need and all power was diverted to engines, sending the little ship into emergency acceleration. Thrown back into their seats and without inertial dampeners both the Colonel and McKay passed out in seconds from the g-forces.

SGASGASGASGASGA

_this is so exciting_ Nox clapped his hands together like a little kid as scientists and soldiers ran past them, carrying everything from weapons, high-tech equipment and power generators to food, water and Lorne thought he even saw a trolley full of gaffa tape.

_look at them run, I hope the Covenant gets here soon – they'll love it_

Loren shook his head and tried, in vain, to ignore Nox. Once Chuck had explained what he'd found and Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay had gone to investigate Lorne had pretty much been left to his own devices. You would think they'd want to question him – hell of a coincidence something turning up unannounced this soon after his… Nox's capture.

Ronon had been needed by to Teyla to help secure the Athosian population so Lorne had volunteered to help with securing the labs – unfortunately no-one wanted his help and he was left to watch.

_maybe you should think of escape_ whispered Nox, standing close to Lorne as if he could be knocked down by a scurrying scientist. _it would be the perfect opportunity and the Covenant would welcome you back with open arms, or feelers, or tentacles… depends who's Apex_

"I don't know what you're talking about," whispered Lorne out the corner of his mouth. "What the hell is the 'Apex' and I can't remember the Covenant – just that it _is_ them approaching."

Nox sniggered then covered his mouth. _that's hilarious – you could have the key to all this but can't remember… tell you what_ he moved around to stand in front of Lorne, putting his metal encased hand on Lorne's temple. It felt cool and too real, even though Lorne knew he was some kind of hallucination.

_let me back in here_ Nox smiled _and I'll help you remember, then you can help your friends_

Lorne let his unamused expression answer that.

Nox sighed and traced the hand down his face and across his chest, letting his finger trace Lorne's pectoral. _perhaps you don't want to help them – you didn't mention anything at the meeting – I think you don't trust them_ his lips came up to Lorne's, too close. _you can trust me_

"I don't think so," muttered Lorne forcefully.

A cold blue eye stared into his own from beneath the hood.

_you cannot begin to imagine a future without me_

"Why not? You're nothing but a figment… a dream."

Lips closed on his own, cold lips that still felt human and for some reason Lorne responded. In a way he knew that mouth – it was his own, but different. It was metallic, coarse and pulsing with some energy that drew him in. His whole body responded. A hand snaked around his waist, pressing fingertips into the small of his back just the way he liked it. The entire world seemed to fade out except for this one small sphere of existence, just him and Nox in this strange embrace. Blood flowed to his groin and pleasure shot though his cock.

_can a dream do that?_

Lorne opened eyes he had not remembered closing but gone was the hooded Nox with those bright blue irises.

"I said what the fuck are you doin' here!" a gruff voice interrupted and turning Lorne was met with a fist to his jaw. The blow should have sent him reeling but instead his head just whipped to the side and he felt the skin tighten around the wound – already healing.

Facing his attacker he noticed a hulking marine, typical square jaw and dark eyes under sheared black hair. The man was drawing back for another swing but Lorne did not intend to let that happen. He went to block but a blow to his side caught him off guard, another marine had used the butt of his rifle to try and crush his kidney – these guys were serious!

The kidney hit would have sent a normal human to the floor writhing in agony and pissing blood for a week. Lorne went to the floor but the pain was strangely numb, as if the rifle had glanced off his hip. On his knee he blocked the larger marine's swing but that opened up his side that the second marine took advantage of again.

This time the pain lanced up his side – he was obviously stronger but not invincible. The distraction allowed the first marine to get a proper punch in, landing right across his temple and sending everything into strobe. His head hit the floor and before he could move a boot slammed into the side of his head, his ears ringing he tried not to panic and took note of his surrounds.

Four marines, two bigger and all armed – thankfully no-one had decided to shoot, Lorne didn't think he was bullet proof as well as blaster proof. He immediately assessed that two he could take down, a third disable – but four would be difficult without using lethal force. A heel smashed on his cheek and the copper taste of blood filled his mouth.

They were trying to kill him – that negated any restraint on his part.

The next kick hit nothing but floor as Lorne rolled away quicker than the marines could have expected. He lifted himself up on palms and toes and turned to his attackers. One of them visibly blanched so Lorne had to imagine his integration tattoos were pulsing amid the flow of blood across his face. He could feel it, dripping down to his jaw and hitting the floor in what to him, were loud splashes. His senses heightened to an extreme point so that he could detect every heartbeat in the room… every breath.

The one with the rifle, his heart beat the fastest – leave him for last. The large marine was strong but his breathing strained, he was not the biggest threat.

That left the second largest and the one he could not see clearly – their heartbeats were regular and breathing controlled. Lorne knew true soldiers and they were it.

The big one who had first spoken trod towards him but Lorne leapt up and ran towards him, at the last second he pivoted and twisted, his momentum allowed him to run up the wall and flip across, leaving the big guy confused and landing in front of one of his identified biggest threats. Full credit to the guy as he only hesitated a moment before tyring to chop at Lorne's neck; blocking with one hand Lorne responded with an open palm right into the man's nose. Blood sprayed and the man screamed and fell.

Threat diminished.

Before the guy hit the floor Lorne used his shoulders as a leaping point and did a full one-eighty, his feet landing in the second threat's chest. He heard ribs crack and finished the man off with three successive jabs to his head.

Unconscious but not dead.

Swinging to face the smaller man Lorne reacted instantly as the guy brought up his P90, bullets thudded into the wall as Lorne ran across the room, the spray of bullets following his arc. Dropping his centre of gravity Lorne fell back _under_ the arc and flipped up and around, side-wheeling to the shooter before he could correct his aim. Kicking the gun to the side he used his momentum to shoulder charge the man, slamming him into the wall he grabbed him by the ears and smashed his head with a knee.

Unconscious, breathing compromised but not dead.

Lorne spun to face the original attacker but as he had suspected four was one too many.

"Not quick enough for me faggot!" Lorne cut down on the gun that was pointed at his chest, he was fast but not fast enough, the 9mm coughed three times and Lorne doubled over.

From the door way he heard Ronon's roar but his head was down and he never saw what happened to the big marine.

It couldn't have been good.

SGASGASGASGASGA

"No response, I'm getting an intermittent signal but something's interfering with the sub-space link."

Woolsey nodded at Chuck in thanks and paced command. They were preparing for the worst, an all out attack on Atlantis from an enemy they knew nothing about.

Just another day in Pegasus. There were days he wished for Stargate Command – he may have been despised but there he only advised, here the buck stopped with him.

"What was their last position?" The screen changed to a flashing dot between the fifth and sixth planet.

"They made a sudden course correction before I lost the signal," explained Chuck.

"The kind of course correction you'd make if under attack?" thought Woolsey aloud.

"I would say that's likely," Chuck responded and Woolsey couldn't tell if it was with respect or derision – never could with gate technicians.

"Doctor Zelenka?"

The doctor shrugged. "We still have a signal, erratic as it is."

Woolsey stopped pacing. "We have to assume they've been attacked and disabled… re-route all available power to the shield."

"They are still six hours away," argued Zelenka. "Every second we have the shield on drains the ZPM."

"Doctor, with all due respect," Woolsey pointed to the second flashing dot, the centre of the gravity-well Chuck had managed to detect. "We have no idea what that is and how far its reach – but its on its way," he traced a finger to the centre of the screen. "And we're the target."

SGASGASGASGASGA

The room was immense, seemingly endless as the polished metal disappeared in pillars growing smaller and smaller. Terraces surrounded them and was the same above, continuing on to what seemed infinity. Sheppard knew it was a trick of the design and the mind – it did not negate the fact, this room was larger than anything he'd ever seen or even imagined.

A steady but silent pulse vibrated through the couch he'd awoken on, although couch was generous. Stone slab with itchy coral that may have served as cushions. McKay had just come around and was, for once, speechless.

"This is amazing, I knew it would be large but this is just…" Well he had been speechless.

"_Yet this is a fraction of a fraction of what we are – are you so easily impressed?"_

The voice emanated from all around them, it sounded feminine but had a deep bass to it that sounded metallic. It immediately made Sheppard think of Nox and he did not believe in coincidences, not even in Pegasus. Actually, he thought, especially not in Pegasus.

"I'm not saying I'm impressed… just slightly um…" McKay tried to argue, which was typical thought Sheppard. New aliens, unknown power and Rodney had to try and rile them up.

"_Momentarily stupefied_?" suggested the voice, followed by what was definitely a feminine laugh.

"I think I might like these guys," muttered Sheppard. "At least they have the right sense of humour."

"Put it back in your pants Kirk," snapped McKay. "Big unknown voice inside huge unknown ship and you want to try and-."

"Are we interrupting? Perhaps you two need time alone?" Sheppard shot up as a figure was suddenly before them, standing and talking where a second ago there had been nothing.

"No, I mean of course not," Sheppard almost stuttered, amazed by what he faced. Twice his height the alien was encased in robes that seemed made of mist, revealing a hint of scaled skin underneath. Humanoid in form, sort of. Two legs, two arms and an elongated head above a concave set of shoulders. Certainly seemed to be female with lips and eyes that just spoke 'lady' and not to mention that regal composure that only queens seemed to master. Sheppard had met enough royals in this galaxy to know the look.

Her skin was strangest of all; reptilian scales covered her hairless body but they were coloured silver as if made of metal. Had she remained still she could pass as a statue with the tone and texture but her body was in motion. Moving forward and leaning down to see eye to eye with him. Her eyes were a molten fire, revealing an intellect that sent shivers up Sheppard's spine. He had heard the term 'looking into your soul' but until now never experienced it – she had just shown him what it felt like.

An elegantly thin hand reached out and reed thin finger-tips danced over his hair.

"Fascinating," she almost purred. "Almost as if it has a life of its own."

Not quite sure what to do Sheppard settled with putting his hand out.

"Um, good to meet you, I'm Colonel John Sheppard and this is Doctor Rodney McKay – please ignore any comments he makes?"

The queenly creature stared at his hand for a second before clasping it in her own. Her hand was warm, almost hot but entirely void of any moisture.

"You may address me as Sharmilla-Joth and I will do no such thing Colonel John Sheppard, the Doctor Rodney McKay delights us with his speech and I hope he will not feel intimidated into silence."

McKay opened his mouth to speak but Sheppard beat him to it.

"Immanent death wouldn't shut him up."

Tbc…


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

**Chapter Eight**

Waking up to see Nox dressed in nothing but speedo and sunning himself on a beach of golden sand in front of an azure blue ocean was not something Lorne expected after getting shot – but then again he wasn't that surprised. He himself at least had board shorts and an air-force academy muscle shirt.

"Oh hi," said Nox, lifting an absurdly huge pair of sunglasses off his nose to grin at Lorne. "I hoped you'd wake up, Pi Antêrios is about to rise."

"Great," replied Lorne with what he hoped was obvious false enthusiasm. "Then we can play some volley-ball and build a bon fire."

Nox slapped his thigh in excitement. "There you go – I knew your humour would return eventually." He stood and poked Lorne in the stomach. "All it took was a round to the gut."

Wincing slightly Lorne found himself glancing at the horizon, wondering exactly what Pi Antêrios was, moon, planet or second sun.

"Speaking of which – I hope this means I'm not dead, cause an afterlife with myself would only entertain for some long."

"There you go again," laughed Nox. "You're killing me."

"Well I do my best to -." He was cut off as Nox's hand gripped his throat and he brought their faces together.

"No really, you-are-killing-me."

Nox released him and took a couple of steps back, his smile returning as if nothing had happened. "Do you know that civilisations that learn about alien life early in their development are less likely to become belligerent war-mongers?"

"No, tell me more, please."

"I think it has something to do with belief in one's species being dominant… that was sarcasm wasn't it?"

This time Lorne smiled. "And here I thought you were in my head – maybe my thoughts are not your own?"

Nox walked back and slung an arm around Lorne, he only flinched slightly this time.

"Its happeneing," Nox whispered and looked to the horizon.

Finding himself intrigued Lorne did look and a reluctant sigh of appreciation escaped. It was a planet that breached the horizon and rose quickly and spectacularly. It was so close you could almost see the weather patterns on the dark orb. It must have been a planet almost devoid of water for all Lorne could see were landmasses and shadows of mountain ranges.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Nox hummed in his ear. "Imagine, with only primitive telescopes the occupants of this planet could view their neighbour, and know by the hues of green that life existed on more than just their own world. A hundred years later cries of joy erupted as evidence of intelligent life was found, a citadel had been built that could be seen from here with the latest lenses."

Nox moved around Lorne, his hands not leaving his body but tracing his muscles and hitting all the tender places. "The knowledge that others were so close spurred the sciences, where your species needed war to invent the people of Pi Antikos were driven by need to know their neighbours. In only a decade they had initiated inter-planetary communications and then soon after," he paused for effect and looked to the other horizon. "First contact."

A rocket blasted up and over the mountain range, leaving a trail of exhaust. He had travelled galaxies but Lorne felt himself somewhat impressed and a little awed. A species that could advance so quickly without war was indeed a wonderful achievement.

"And then what?"

Nox released him and did a little dance before pointing back at Lorne. "You see, I've got you hooked." He grabbed hold of Lorne again, this time around the waist and to his own chastisement Lorne felt himself enjoying it. He idly thought if Ronon would hold this against him, since it wasn't technically real?

Nox was continuing his history lesson. "There was the expected differences, the challenge of language and compatibility, but no wars – no killing."

"So how does it all end?"

Nox stopped their walking. "What makes you think it comes to an end?"

A shrug was all Lorne could offer, but he knew he was right.

"Well there is an end, but then a beginning," said Nox cryptically.

Lorne knelt and collected a handful of sand. It felt real, it even felt like it could be from Earth. He looked up at Nox, who standing next to him was silhouetted by the rising planet of Pi Antêrios. "Why are you showing me this?"

Nox squatted and put a cool soft hand to his cheek. "Because we should know our origins."

SGASGASGASGA

Ronon shook Lorne again and briefly considered slapping his face. "Evan!"

The man he was holding mumbled but his eyes remained closed. Ronon had used his own shirt to stem the bleeding and his calls for help had been ignored which was ridiculous – someone would have heard the shots. Suspecting another ambush Ronon had carried Lorne to the transport lift and taken them to Nox's former holding area. Once behind the blast door he had felt a little safer and studied Lorne's wound.

That is why he had considered slapping Lorne – the wound was gone, just reddened skin and crusted blood.

"Guess you are bullet proof," he said gruffly.

He thought about calling Keller, the marines deserved little mercy but one Lorne had taken out looked in a bad way – if he died they'd find a way to paint Lorne as the aggressor; given the situation him and Lorne would find little in the way of support. This is exactly what Sheppard had said could happen but Ronon had found it hard to believe. Attacking one of your own in the belief they were traitors was reasonable but this, just because Lorne liked men? That word the marine had used, faggot, Ronon had heard it too often recently to not know what it meant, and in what context. There were times when, working with Sheppard or even McKay that Ronon marvelled at their tenacity and loyalty – and it made him think that a culture that produced them must be envied. Then there was the way they had social taboos that made absolutely no sense. He pitied them when he saw such things.

His hand froze on the way to his radio – what if others were monitoring the frequency? The marines had been confident they could attack Lorne and get away with it; perhaps that meant others were involved – others with more clout than a few front line soldiers. Ronon adjusted his hold on Lorne and eased the other man against the wall. They were in one of the many corridors where there were multiple exit points. The one straight ahead led to a balcony – it had been sealed off with Nox in here but Chuck must have removed the panels since a breeze was blowing through.

Quickly checking his weapons stock Ronon also tried to remember what supplies were in this section. Food should still be ample since there had been stores for both Nox and captors. The city supplied water and any other amenities they needed. They just needed to hold out until Sheppard returned. Ronon wanted to trust that senior command would help but who else would be listening? The old paranoia of being a Runner flowed back as he considered options and exit strategies. He knew a few ways to get to the Puddlejumper bay without detection but he'd need Lorne awake to fly. Failing that there were a few people that might help them escape – but those few he hesitated to put in danger.

He gazed at his lover, seemingly asleep with no sign of his earlier injuries. As a Runner he had only himself to worry about – his priorities had changed since being in Atlantis and definitely since meeting Evan Lorne. Ronon muttered a curse and slunk down next to Lorne so they were shoulder to shoulder.

Where the hell was Sheppard?

SGASGASGASGASGASGA

Glancing around the corner Sheppard move to the next alcove and waited for McKay to join him. "So you think they know we've gone?"

McKay shrugged. "Who knows what surveillance they're capable of – more importantly why go to the trouble of capturing us only to let us escape so easily?"

Sheppard grimaced. "We haven't got out just yet – how big you think this ship is anyway?" McKay said nothing which worried Sheppard; no answer meant he probably knew but was unwilling to say.

"I think there's some sort of console up ahead – let's just get that far shall we?"

The console was circular, like most of the technology in this place, and its design seemed vaguely familiar though Sheppard couldn't place it. He watched as Rodney pressed several icons and hummed to himself. Knowing this meant he was on to something Sheppard let him be and kept an eye out for guards.

Truth be told they had seen no guards or any other beings apart from Sharmilla-Joth since they'd been here. She had asked some harmless questions and explained that they were not prisoners – she had decided to rescue them from their damaged craft. Plausible but she evaded too many of their own questions to be benign.

Hence the escape.

Not that it was a stretch to escape from a room without locks – but then they'd been in stranger prisons.

"Hah!" announced McKay. "Simple binary code is the same the universe over, I should be able to bring up a schematic…" After a flurry of fingers the screen changed and Sheppard glanced over his shoulder. The screen showed a circle map, shocking thought Sheppard, another circle.

"We're here," McKay pointed to a dot on the outer edge. "And we want to be," he hesitated over a point the opposite side, "Here."

His finger pushed down. The console went dark and then disappeared into the floor. A moment later they were engulfed by a bright light and a loud whine was heard.

A noise Sheppard did recognise and so did McKay as they looked at each other in shock.

"Shit!" they said at the same time just as a set of hovering rings fell about them.

They disappeared in a flash of white light.

SAGSAGSGASGASGA

Nox stepped back from Lorne, his body was now clad in the dark grey armour he had been wearing when the team had found him imprisoned by the Genii.

"We are not who we thought we were."

"We?" questioned Lorne.

"You and I," answered Nox. "I thought myself in control of a body with no host – obviously I was wrong as you so efficiently pointed out." He walked around Lorne and as he did the landscape changed, darkening as huge cylindrical towers of dark metal rose to the sky. "Our clash, you crying out from in here," he pointed at his own head, "And me unaware of the conflict you were creating made my mission so much harder."

"Your mission?"

Nox nodded. "I am an advance scout sent to infiltrate and disrupt defences before they arrive."

Lorne snorted. "You have not damaged the Atlantis defences in any way – you helped them by fighting the Wraith."

"Well that was more you than me but then that is what I am getting at," explained Nox. "When you regained full control I was able to re-examine the mission program and realised a fatal flaw – a flaw which had made me rethink who and what I am… what _we_ are."

A few things started falling into place as Lorne remembered more about the time when Nox was first under guard in Atlantis. "I was trying to get us killed," said Lorne. "Why would I do that unless I knew…"

"Yes," said Nox. "You saw the danger that you presented and tried to antagonise your jailers to kill you. I did not fully understand why I acted so belligerently and you were not conscious enough to realise that your friends would never kill you for doing nothing more than hurting their feelings – together we ignored the most important aspect of our existence."

"We are not who we think we are," muttered Lorne. Nox nodded grimly and pointed at the sky, now almost black as the multitude of towers topped by platforms blocked out the sun. "Pi Antikos was changed to save its inhabitants from a dying sun – inhabitants who adapted their own physiques to survive ten thousand years of darkness."

Lorne examined his hand, the feint lines of an integration tattoo throbbing with his heart. "They used technology to keep their biological functions operating – an artificial form of immortality." He continued now, walking confidently down the darkened beach to look at the sister planet of Pi Antêrios. From a gap in the platforms he could see a sliver of it, ravaged with chunks missing – as if it had been eaten by some giant. "They gave up their planet to save this one, their ore supplied the shell for Pi Antikos didn't it?"

"It did," whispered Nox. "I have only partial data but it seems an agreement was reached, one for the other."

"What did Pi Antêrios get in return?" asked Lorne. "A place here?"

"I don't think so," said Nox, for the first time not having information. "As I understand it the cultures were both peaceful but unable to share living space."

"So what happened to them?"

"I do not have the data, but the agreement has given its name to those who created us."

Lorne spun to face Nox. "Us?"

Nox smiled sadly, the integration lines were white like old scars and followed the contours of his face. Lorne had stopped seeing his own face and now saw only Nox as a separate identity, but not an alien to his own self. "I told you many times – Evan Lorne is dead… we are a construct of that which was."

The news should have been devastating, it should have hit him like a truck but Lorne found himself just nodding along. "We are one," he whispered. "There never was a you, or me… but just two sides of the same coin."

Nox stepped up, his face inches from Lorne's. "I told you before, I am not your enemy."

"What about the mission?" asked Lorne. "Even if we are the same entity, I will not let you destroy Atlantis."

"And I will not allow Atlantis destroyed," said Nox softly, his eyes flashing a brilliant electric blue. "Your enemies are my enemies."

"And who are they?"

Nox looked up, the gaps had closed and now only darkness reigned on the planet.

"Those who made us… the Pi Covenant."

Tbc…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Darkness.

Absolute and complete darkness.

Sheppard had experienced such a thing before, several times in fact. This, however, was the first time he had experienced it without knowing where he was or what may be around him. They had rematerialized into this, whatever it was and both had been smart enough not to move. For all they knew they were standing on a cliff's edge, or could set off some booby-trap, or a hundred other things McKay had mentioned while they stood here.

"You know," whispered McKay, seeming to think keeping his voice low was appropriate. "I think I'm beginning to see something, shapes at the least."

"No you're not," said Sheppard forcefully. "Its just your mind trying to make sense of what it cannot see."

"Oh! Says the great commander – and where did you pick up such important medical knowledge? One of your many, and I say many, trips to the infirmary perhaps?"

"Fine Rodney, then what do you see?"

The answer was a mumble that Sheppard thought he may have understood but Rodney needed some more prodding, and it filled the time. "What was that?"

"A giant protein bar okay, I see a big rectangular shape that may just resemble food."

"…"

"Yes Colonel, you can insert a laugh right here at any time."

Sheppard did and was rewarded with an elbow to his side. In the end he figured it was worth it and proved at least McKay was in moderately good spirits.

Once the fun had worn off though Sheppard sighed; enough was enough.

"Hey!" he called out, his voice not even returning an echo. "I get it okay, we're here and you have the power… so just turn on the lights and we'll admit we've learnt our lesson!"

Just when he thought that maybe he was wrong and they should try moving Sheppard heard a feint scuttling that stopped just short of their position.

[_power is an interesting concept isn't it… you assume I have the power because you are blind – but that is just a perception, with or without sight I believe you have the ability to change the unchangeable… to turn events that have been set in motion for eons_]

The voice had the same resonance as Sharmilla-Joth but was more masculine and with a touch of sadness. Sheppard immediately sensed that this being did not intend them harm but perhaps would put them in danger simply by asking for their help – for that is exactly what he was doing, fancy words or not.

"Let me guess," Sheppard asked, stepping towards the voice. "You need us to do what you can't; act on your behalf because we couldn't possibly understand the situation you're in?"

A couple of red lights brightened from the floor and illuminated their companion, but little else. In the low light he was still an impressive sight. Resting upon six crab-like arms was a cylindrical body that had a face covering almost half of the body. It had two eyes, larger than any Sheppard had seen but so full of emotion that he almost gasped at the intensity; it was as if the creature could extend its feelings and wrap them around Sheppard. The nose was flattened but still recognisable and the lips were huge and despite their size very human-like.

[_I believe_] the creature spoke, its lips moving again in a very human fashion [_that you would understand all too well_]

McKay stepped forward, no fear evident in his body language. Either he was learning to mask it or he really had no concerns about the alien they faced.

"Hi," he smiled. "Doctor Rodney McKay, but I assume you know that?"

The creature nodded and smiled. "Hello Doctor McKay, it is a pleasure to finally meet you – I am Kellerax-Six." The metallic echo had disappeared and perhaps that meant that something had changed, exactly what Sheppard had no idea.

"One question," said McKay. "How does an alien species far from _our_ galaxy have technology that is quite predominate in _our_ galaxy?"

Kellerax-Six smiled again. "We have travelled far – and for much of that time have been content to study and not interfere… but at times our scrutiny has not gone unnoticed."

"That's not really an answer."

"I never said I would answer your question."

Sheppard stifled a laugh and put a hand on McKay's chest, silencing him. "If I may ask Kellerax-Six, exactly what help can we provide a civilisation such as yours?"

Kellerax-Six's face frowned and to both Sheppard and McKay's amazement the body rotated to reveal another face, similar in structure but older, more wrinkled. "For that I shall answer… the favour we seek is a simple one – defeat us."

Sheppard was shocked to silence. From what he had seen the technology was not beyond their own but if his suspicions were correct they had nothing that could even damage this craft sufficiently to force a defeat.

"I think I may need a little more explanation."

"And I shall give it." The floor changed colour and became a landscape, falling back to a continent, and then a planet closely orbited by a smaller but similar planet. "The planets Pi Antikos and Pi Anterios – orbiting an aged star on the very edges of a galaxy far from this one." The star shone brightly but surged and enlarged. "Knowing the end was coming and without the ability to flee our civilisations made a choice." One planet was quickly surrounded by black panels, while the other was reduced as if it was an apple being devoured. "One for the other; one to live and the other die."

"That's amazing," muttered McKay. "I mean I know its possible but the resources and the engineering capability? Surely building a fleet of ships would have been easier?"

"And what would ships do for us? Would they sustain us, provide for us? We lived in a dying system upon the edge of a desolate galaxy – we could not know what was beyond and if there were other worlds to support us."

"But you soon found out," prompted Sheppard.

"Yes," rumbled Kellerax-Six. "And therein lay our problem."

SGASGASGASGASGA

Keller stomped in front of Woolsey's desk. "You can't possibly believe that Major Lorne attacked those soldiers – that he is the aggressor and not they?"

"I don't have much choice," answered Woolsey. "They all claim the same thing – he went crazy and started attacking them… should I discount the word of several decorated marines over a man who may not even be who he claims to be?"

"I…" Keller decided to change tack. "Why would Ronon help him then? If he's not Lorne then Ronon would be the first to try and stop him."

"Doctor, I cannot possibly try to understand what Ronon is thinking or why he is doing this – but the security of Atlantis is at stake and I can't afford my personal feelings to override what seems a logical conclusion."

"So what, you're going to just kill them without hearing both sides?" Keller slammed fists on his desk but Woolsey just sighed.

"I have given orders for them to be taken alive."

"And if Major Lorne was not the aggressor how likely is it that these marines will follow that order?"

"Are you suggesting I cannot trust the very soldiers we put our faith in every time we walk through that gate?"

Keller gritted her teeth and had to finally relent and shook her head. "Wouldn't it just be better to leave them for now until the bigger threat is out of the way?"

Woolsey stood and walked around the desk, guiding her out of the office. "Only a small team is going in, and unfortunately it is difficult to fathom this being a coincidence – we cannot leave him free to roam the city when whatever is approaching may well be the thing that created him."

"Major Lorne would never betray us Mr Woolsey."

"I know that," said Woolsey. "But what if he isn't Evan Lorne?"

Keller found that too hard to answer.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Lorne kept watch while Ronon tried unsuccessfully to push the doors shut. The power had been cut ten minutes ago and they both knew what that meant.

"You should go," said Lorne, tyring to make eye contact with Ronon but failing. "They want me; if you leave now-."

"We're not discussing this," muttered Ronon and kicked the door in frustration. With it wide open their ability to defend this corridor was limited and they would have to fall back before being cornered.

"Ronon," Lorne walked up and gently grabbed the other's shoulders. "I don't want you dying for me – there's things I can't explain in the time we have but you and me…"

"What?"

He looked into Ronon's eyes and saw the anger, the hurt and the confusion. How to say that all this may be for nothing? Perhaps he was Evan Lorne but more and more he was thinking not, and if that were so then Ronon was fighting for a phantom.

"I…" his lips quivered at the thought of pushing this man away. "I love you."

Ronon's mouth picked up in the corners with a knowing smile. "Yeah, you do."

"That's why you have to go – what if?" He couldn't quite say the words and even if he did would Ronon believe him? He had fought so hard for Lorne to be accepted as, well as Lorne – to now suggest he wasn't might be difficult to explain.

Lips caressed his own and his moan of frustration turned to one of pleasure. Ronon's strong hands gripped his head and neck, nimble fingers circling in all the right places. Their tongues fought for dominance and Lorne felt Ronon smile against him – shutting Lorne up had always been easy for the Runner and Lorne knew that Ronon knew it.

"You were saying?" said Ronon softly.

Lorne sighed against his chest. "We should get moving, they'll use the secondary entry points and attack from at least two directions simultaneously."

Ronon grunted a laugh. "Helps to be the one who drew up a response for this scenario doesn't it?"

"Problem is they know that – so they'll adapt the strategy."

Still rubbing the back of his neck Ronon gave a half smile. "So what would you do?"

Lorne shrugged. "Gas through the vents; drop troops via Puddle-Jumper; change the transport lifts to-," he stared at Ronon. "They'll transport in behind us with a decoy to the front!"

Ronon's smile turned to feral grin. "That's the man I fell in love with." Lorne resisted beaming, since that would probably be the closest he'd get to an 'I love you'.

"So?" continued Ronon. "What should our response be?"

This time it was Lorne's turn to smile wickedly. "How's your swimming?"

SGASGASGASGASGASGA

"We've seen it in every galaxy and on almost every inhabited world – the strong rule the weak and although sometimes benign," Kellerax-Six's eyes darkened. "It is always this in-balance that creates conflict."

"True," nodded Sheppard. "But given the chance these 'weak' that you speak of rise up and redress the balance – its not a perfect universe but I'd like to think that there's more good than bad."

"What an optimistic species you are," said Kellerax-Six. "I wish I could view existence as you do… I think I once did but time has not been the kindest of teachers."

McKay stared down at the frozen image, one where one world encased in black was weathering the blast of a supernova where the remains of the other planet was disintegrating in the super-heated corona. "You're from the doomed planet aren't you?"

Kellerax-Six could not nod but his face said it all. "You are perceptive Doctor McKay – I am the last of Pi-Anterios; I have been alone in this universe for ten-thousand years." The body rotated again and another face, this much older and marked with age stared with almost blind eyes at them; the voice was as aged as the face. "It is we who came up with Integration – the gathering of the many to the few. There was no way to save our multitudes as individuals, so we saved them as a collective mind – a complex and constantly weaving myriad of three billion minds… now we are but one."

Sheppard hung his head at the tragedy of it, even though it must have been so long ago the emotions of Kellerax-Six still surrounded them and he could literally feel the devastating loss of so many.

The youngest face once more took control. "I and a few thousand others retained our physical form, being both host and body for the many; but now they have all moved on to other levels of existence."

McKay stepped closer. "Forgive me for asking but why – if all the others moved on why remain?"

Kellerax-Six moved his eyes to the dark orb of Pi Antikos. "Our neighbours, the ones we gave our home for, did not move on – they retained their physical forms and changed them to overcome age and death, taking new bodies when even technology could not revive the old ones. They are integrated as once we were but while being of a group mind offers much solace and harmony there is also great danger." The area they were in started to get lighter, still a reddish light but brighter and revealing thousands of silent and still bodies surrounding them like an eerie graveyard full of upright corpses.

"While decisions are easily made within such a concept as one integrated network of minds these decisions can be without empathy – without soul." Kellerax-Six moved slowly back, allowing Sheppard and McKay to see more clearly around the room; the bodies were human-like but there was not yet enough light to see them clearly. "I am afraid that sometimes an idea, once planted in the group mind, can spread like a virus – and is almost impossible to remove."

"And what idea has become dangerous enough for you to ask for the defeat of something you helped create?" asked Sheppard, although he feared the answer was all too obvious.

In his eyes Kellerax-Six also knew the answer was painfully clear. "That study of the universe is no longer relevant – where once we held knowledge as the only worthy commodity another idea has taken root and created this abomination – the Covenant now seeks power… and power is to be taken by conquest!"

The light brightened and they saw what surrounded them. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of identical beings all armoured and standing still and silent as sentinels. All with the same face and all known to John Sheppard and Rodney McKay.

Major Evan Lorne.

Tbc…


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Ten

(Note: [_voice_] denotes Nox voice as Lorne hears it.)

In the cold emptiness of the void between the planet and its larger moon the Puddle-jumper remained in a fixed position; the gravity of the two planetoids cancelled each other out at this exact point. For this reason the jumper needed little to remain in position except the inertia of moving with the planet's orbit around the sun. Cloaked and on strict radio silence the pilot inside ticked off another ten minute sit-rep and sent the report off on a sub-space burst designed to appear nothing more than the background noise of a solar flare.

After ten months in Pegasus he was somewhat of a veteran and such missions were not unusual; if mostly boring and without incident. There were always exceptions and the itching on the back of his neck indicated this would be one of them. The jumper shuddered ever so slightly and a silent alarm flashed up on the HUD; calmly with the experience of facing many unusual situations he checked all the systems. Apart from a minor course adjustment due to a gravity flux there was nothing abnormal and he sat back in the seat. Since this was his usual jumper the seat was adjusted specifically for his body and it gave just the right amount of firm support and soft comfort.

The alarm went off again and the tiny ship lurched suddenly. The pilot checked the systems again and once more all appeared normal; but he knew this was something else, the same way all Pegasus veterans knew when a seemingly peaceful mission was about to go to hell. With a thought he lowered the blast screen, left up for the possibility of micro-meteors this close to a planet without shields. Folding back into an invisible slot the blast screen allowed the dark emptiness of space to fill the window. Being far enough from the atmosphere the stars shone bright and the moon's edge was to the far right. He peered into the star field; something was not right with it. He studied one point in particular and relied not on the HUD but his own sight and instinct.

"Where are you?" he muttered to himself, his voice sounding strange in the compartment. His eyes widened slightly as the wrongness became apparent; off to the left and getting larger was a big black nothing. It did not have the sheen of something painted black but was just 'not there', the only evidence was the lack of stars in the vicinity; and there should have been stars. He swore and started activating systems as he tried to send an emergency report.

SGASGASGASGASGA

"Anything?" asked Woolsey again and again Chuck shook his head.

"They should have seen something, the gravity well is almost upon us isn't it?"

"Affirmative sir, there are several atmospheric disturbances and tidal surges indicative of a major gravity flux in our sector."

Woolsey tugged on his uniform cuffs as if they were suddenly too tight. "Prepare to dial the alpha site – we may have to evacuate if this thing keeps coming." He turned a raised eyebrow to Chuck. "I don't relish being sucked into a black hole."

A smile tugged at the corner of Chuck's mouth, something he would not have done in front of Woolsey only a month ago. "Me neither sir, perhaps we can try Colonel Sheppard again, this close a signal might get through."

Nodding Woolsey did not allow his negative thoughts to show but Radek voiced what he was thinking.

"If they're even in that thing and still alive."

SGASGASGASGASGA

Bullets thudded into the wall where Lorne had been only a split second ago. They had almost been cornered but luckily the modifications for his previous imprisonment had provided an exit that the marines were not aware of; of course the exit had led them into another patrol. Two blasts from Ronon's pistol and one from Lorne's stun-staff had them crumpling before any more rounds were let off.

"That was close," growled Ronon. "That makes what, twelve?"

"Plus the three we heard on the level above makes fifteen, insurgent squads work in groups of six so at least another three we don't know about."

Checking his weapon Ronon grimaced. "I'm almost out – unless we start salvaging their weapons?"

Lorne frowned and took a moment to crouch against the wall. Across from him stood Nox, invisible to Ronon but entirely real to Lorne.

[_they are armed with only lethal weapons – whomever arranged this wanted only one outcome_]

Nodding in agreement but staying silent, no need to spook Ronon more than necessary, Lorne took a breath and stood. "No, lethal force is a last resort and will not help our case if we're captured."

"They're not trying to capture us," grunted Ronon.

"No, but I can't believe they're all in on this – if needs be we surrender to them when they're in a group, less chance of execution that way."

Ronon shook his head and put an arm around him. "You say that like we're discussing what to have for dinner… I love that about you."

He shrugged and for a moment allowed himself to lean into the bigger man and soak in his warmth. The squads tracking them were smart and had reduced the temperature; probably trying to make them uncomfortable but for Lorne it was worse. A large part of his bio-mechanical energy came from ambient heat – and that was now severely lacking.

"I need my armour – without it we'll never make it through the water."

Ronon nodded and pointed to the right. "This way, they kept it in one of the labs."

"Hey!" as Ronon spun back Lorne grabbed him and pulled him in for a crushing kiss. "Love you too, just in case I never said it enough before."

"Then you're getting too soft, might have to trade you in." Ronon's eyes belied his comment and they jogged off.

On the ground one of the marines rolled over and brought a radio out. "I have them, they're heading for the labs."

SGASGASGASGASGA

Walking up closer Sheppard stared into one of the clone's eyes. They were life-less, no movement apart form a blink every few seconds. The same for all he could see; the army was in some kind of rest mode. They made small movements, probably involuntary to keep the muscles and flesh from atrophy.

"They await purpose," explained Kellerax-Six. "Having an army is one thing; an army that will obey without question while being capable of independent action is another."

McKay stared at the alien for a moment before clicking his fingers. "This Integration of yours, the Pi Covenant… they fear an uprising because all their experience tells them it is inevitable."

"Correct. Through all the galaxies, no matter the size and power, those who rule are eventually taken down by the very instruments of their power – the Covenant will not allow that to happen."

"How, if all the galaxies had no solution then how do you find one?"

"Exactly," countered Kellerax-Six. "And you, Doctor McKay, are part of the answer… Atlantis is the other."

Sheppard's military mind quickly processed his meaning. "You need a program like the replicators – and you need McKay to adapt it."

The aged face of Kellerax-Six spun to face them. "Precisely. Taking Atlantis was to be the next move, then find Doctor McKay and use him to interface and use the Ancient's database to ensure these soldiers would act as commanded."

"Then we turned up on your doorstep," muttered Sheppard. "Now you don't have to be so careful about who you kill – cause all you need is the city intact, not its inhabitants."

"Yes," the younger face took over. "That is why time is of the essence; I had thought to act during the initial conflict, using the confusion of battle to turn many of the Integrated personalities back to our true path – now the battle will be short and the chance lost."

McKay's face dropped as realisation hit. "They're just going to murder everyone aren't they – not even provide a chance for surrender."

"Yes, but we still have a chance to stop this from occurring." The young face grimaced slightly. "Although it will involve initiating a civil war – and may well destroy all that the Covenant was and could be."

"I suppose it involves great risk on our part?" snarked McKay. "As usual we have to clean up the mess started by others."

"Not really," answered Kellerax-Six. "The sacrifice will be great but not yours to make… no Doctor McKay, all I need from you is to provide another program for these soldiers."

"Hah!" laughed McKay. "As we've already ascertained, the basic program is on the database in Atlantis – without that it would take me months to create one."

"Years probably," countered Kellerax-Six. "The program is indeed on Atlantis but you are not required to re-write it – merely retrieve it."

"I don't understand," said McKay. "The replicator program is flawed, it won't help the Covenant, or you, or us?"

The aged face took over again, the sadness and determination evident on its ancient features. "The program I seek is on no database."

SGASGASGASGASGA

The circular displays now showed the planet close, in real size and beautiful with its hues of blue and green interspaced with white cloud. For a moment it triggered a long forgotten memory in Sharmilla-Joth; one of great cities beneath open skies in a time of peace and prosperity – before the great calamity. When this was done there would be a million worlds where they could rebuild such paradise.

All it required was the initial sacrifice.

A tone indicated they had reached the destination and she smiled, the fire behind her eyes brightening to white hot for an instant.

"Prepare to invert the magnetosphere," she intoned, the order unnecessary but it gave her pleasure to voice it. Untold trillions would soon obey her voice, the one true voice of the Covenant echoing across eternity. In her excitement she missed the minute fragment of Integration that noted containment chamber one zero-zero-three had been activated. Had she noted it she would have seen Kellerax-Six and Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay standing in the transport rings – had she seen it one thought could have prevented their plans.

But she didn't see it.

SGASGASGASGASGASGA

Upon the Jumper the pilot studied the darkness before him and swore again as a charge of energy swept across it. He had considered it large but the arc was far wider than he thought, at least it provided data the jumper could interpret. The figures came up on the HUB and he took a vital second to double check – because the figures were far too massive for ship – even a ship that could create such a gravity well.

Another arc crackled across space, then another and another. More jumped across and the darkness startled to ripple like some giant insect shedding its skin.

"Open direct link to command," spoke the pilot and thankfully the link was established.

"Atlantis, this is Jumper Beta Two – you are not going to believe what I am seeing."

SGASGASGA

Lorne froze in the moment of sliding closed the armour and turned to Ronon, his eyes were wide with fear and sudden knowledge.

"They're here," he gasped and grabbed his head, falling to his knees as millions of needles jabbed into his brain – all with one point to make:

Obey!

Obey!

Obey!

SGASGASGA

"The transmission is coming through but suffering major interference," said Chuck, punching dozens of controls to isolate the data stream to get a better reading.

"Divert all available power to that transmission," commanded Woolsey. "We have to see what is happening."

Radek's fingers danced across the keyboard and the lights in command flickered and died – to be replaced by the main screen projecting Beta-Two's transmission. The stars could be seen around the edges but in centre a rippling darkness was making itself visible. The pilot's voice was also coming through but broken by interference.

"Comm- initial estim- object located three hundred thous- size estimated… - irty – and kilometres across."

"Doctor Zelenka," barked Woolsey. "Can we clean that up, what's he saying?"

Radek looked up from his screen, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "He's using the moon's vector to estimate size and location of object."

"So?"

"To do that the object would be in similar position to the moon," Radek managed to say while tapping more instructions."

Woolsey's face fell as he walked towards the screen. On it the moon was in the bottom corner, its curve barely filling ten percent of the area – the rest was almost entirely covered by the rippling black. "But that would mean-." His voice caught, unable to finish the sentence.

Chuck interrupted as fresh data flowed across his screen. "Object has halted its forward momentum and is in synchronous orbit with our planet – we can now detect it and I am reading a massive energy build up." His breath hitched as he punched another key.

The comm buzzed again as Beta-Two voice filtered through, "…- uck – oody…- eath star."

Chuck saw the surge and yelled into the comm, "Beta-Two, get out of there now!"

SGASGASGA

Pilot first class Anthony Ashcott watched as the ripples shook off the remaining black and the object became visible. He had seen many things and imagined a whole heap more during his time in Pegasus – but this was beyond anything he had thought possible.

Out of the darkness and empty void of space he had just watched a planet appear – a planet covered in grey-black interconnected tiles that were probably each the size of a major city.

"Fuck me," he muttered, not realising his comm was still on. "It's the bloody Death Star."

His words appeared prophetic as seconds later he heard Chuck yelling for him to leave immediately. Too late he realised as a final ripple went from each pole and when they met on the equator a shock wave of blue-white energy shot out from the planetoid in a perfect spherical plane – heading right for his position.

Time for thoughts was over as the shock-wave obliterated the Jumper and Anthony Ashcott in a nano-second before continuing on. The edge of the wave sliced through the upper atmosphere at the north-pole and trillions of tons of gas and ice were instantly ignited by the wave and burned as white hot plasma. On the other side of the wave's circumference the wave sliced right into the centre of the moon, rock and dust vaporising as easy as Atlantis' planet's atmosphere. The moon lacked the planet's mass however and the ability to absorb the incredible amount of energy – the moon literally cracked in two which created a secondary shock-wave that reached the planet in a matter of three point four seconds.

This shock-wave hit the equator and flash-boiled ten billion mega-litres of seawater before being dissipated by the ocean floor.

SGASGASGA

Through the pain, the unrelenting agony of alien thoughts trying to penetrate his head Lorne saw Ronon's face yelling at him. Hearing was impossible through the white noise but he didn't need it to know that Ronon was yelling at him to stay awake, to stay with him.

He wanted to; he needed to – because he knew that to fall prey to these thoughts would mean the absolute end of whatever part of Evan Lorne remained.

His vision was clouded by red, capillaries in his eyes had probably burst from the pressure and he could already feel moisture running from his nose. Blood or his brain – nothing would surprise Lorne at this point.

Reaching up a shaking hand he touched Ronon's cheek, the texture of it and warmth the only real thing keeping him in this moment – the tears on that beautiful face breaking his heart.

He was causing this pain – he should never have been here.

All of it was just some stupid accident.

Hidden memories surfaced. Wraith, dozens of them as he fired his weapon – too many. The explosion of the C4 as he blew the DHD – darkness, a Hive Ship – the chaos of some kind of inter-hive conflict then more explosions.

Darkness again.

The cold of space and the icy-tendrils of being completely and utterly alone.

His eyes widened as the most hideous memory of all returned.

Death.

Azure blue eyes gazed into his own.

[_it does not have to be_]

"I'm sorry Ronon," he gasped out, the pain racking his body with convulsions. Ronon's face, in Lorne's vision juxtaposed next to Nox's, betrayed his pain, his torture at losing Lorne again.

[_but he isn't is he? Tell him – make him understand_]

Lorne breathed, trying to catch enough air to make a sentence. "I – am – not – him."

Ronon's lips moved, finally some sound made it through. "I know – but it doesn't matter," his lips quivered. "It was enough… it would have been enough."

Nox's eye blazed blue, filling Lorne's view and making him scream – he didn't want this – he wanted his last sight to be Ronon.

[_there is no other way_]

The whole world became blue-white pain then nothing.

Nothing but stars and cold. He was floating in the void, the emptiness of space where the Pi Covenant found him.

[_alone you cannot defeat them, they are many and you are one_]

"I am nothing, we've discussed this before – I am a phantom of a soul long dead."

[_no! you are what you are – I am what I am… separately we are nothing but together…_]

His thoughts tried to make sense of it all – the pounding of the alien minds had lessened, they had became an annoyance and it was only when he spoke with Nox that they became weaker.

"Everything we thought we were, it is nothing."

[_not nothing; but less than what can be_] Nox's face and body levitated above him, if it could be called levitating in space.

"We must be more, we must be…"

Nox's face came closer and closer, their lips almost touching.

[_cease to be me, no more you_]

"A single organism," Lorne lunged forth, his lips locking on and kissing his doppelganger. Through eyes half-shut he saw the tattoos on Nox's face flare a brilliant red-gold, his own probably doing the same. Their tongues entwined, their moves became co-ordinated, neither fighting for control while allowing the other complete control.

Giving up power while taking complete command.

An impossibility made flesh.

[One voice]

"_One body_."

"One," Lorne-Nox said, his voice no longer many but a single tone – not what it was and not what it was meant to be – but as it now had to be.

Tbc…


	11. Chapter 11

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Eleven

In the chaos of command Chuck clawed his way back to his console. The entire room was at an angle, which of course meant the whole city was; one or more of the ballast tanks had been ruptured, it was the only explanation. His screen flickered, power was intermittent but enough to show him his theory was correct. In true fashion the situation was probably going to get worse as two more of the tanks were in danger of breaking open. If that happened the city wouldn't sink but fall half in to the ocean; possibly capsizing.

Woolsey was unconscious, Radek was missing and he could not see any military people; Chuck sighed and shook his head – so not the way he wanted to take command.

"Report!" he yelled, hoping someone would respond in the semi-darkness. Thankfully someone did, listing power levels. Then someone else called out parts of the city that were taking on water. More reports starting coming in; not one person questioned that Chuck had taken control; probably not a job any of them wanted right now.

"Synchronise the remaining ballast tanks, get the city level before another tsunami hits; order all military units to prepare for intruders." Chuck checked the readings on his monitor; the line of tsunamis circling the planet had hit so quickly after the energy wave that they had been unprepared. He estimated they had thirty minutes before being hit again. "Prepare to lower the shield."

It was a testament to command's professionalism that no-one argued; they had all heard the power level, or lack thereof. The shield almost collapsed under the first onslaught – if not given time to recharge it would never stop another round of tidal waves.

The shield was lowered.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Sharmilla-Joth smiled as the data flowed in. The city was intact. It had been a gamble to send the energy pulse since they may have destroyed Atlantis – but it was necessary or it would be months before they could breach the shield. The plan had been for the prototype to infiltrate Atlantis, gain their trust then find a way to disable defences. Unfortunately communication with the prototype had been disturbed and then completely severed.

Luckily Sharmilla-Joth had a back-up plan.

The screen suddenly changed and icons appeared next to the city. This made her smile more; the shields were down and that meant that Atlantis was wide open.

"Begin transport – prisoners are not required, get me the database!"

On the surface of Pi-Antikos ten panels lifted slightly and wave after wave of attack craft swarmed out, heading straight for the ancient city.

SGASGASGASGA

The barrel was pushed into Ronon's head and he grimaced. Focused on Lorne and then the city lurching from some giant collision he had not heard the soldier's approach.

"Give him over and there'll be no trouble." It was the Texan – Ronon knew he should have broken bones instead of just knocking him out earlier.

Spinning around Ronon wasn't quick enough; the big marine just stepped back and held the pistol to his chest instead. "Your devotion to that thing makes me sick." Ronon watched the other's eyes, in it he saw madness, not lunacy but the madness of belief. This guy actually believed he was doing the right thing.

"Excuse me, but I believe we have unfinished business," the voice of Lorne sounded behind the Texan. He tried to turn but Lorne easily knocked the weapon aside, back-handing him then round-house kicking the man into the wall. His eyes rolled up unconscious.

Lorne turned to Ronon, his eyes had a soft blue glow and the tattoos were shining gold. Silence reigned between them for some time before Lorne sighed, "For what it's worth Ronon, I am sorry – had there been another way…"

"Don't want to hear it," Ronon said huskily. "Let's just finish this and you can go wherever you need to go."

Lorne stared at him before nodding slowly. He put on the remainder of his armour and it came on line. Segments extended and lights flickered across the surface. One segment snaked up and covered one eye, another encased his hands in claw-like gloves with a metal frame. Turning to the wall Lorne held it out and a sudden glow was followed by a burst of silent thunder, the wall opposite exploded into molten sparks.

The smile that crossed Lorne's face was almost feral. "Several more soldiers approaching – shall I?"

Ronon nodded and said something he never thought would come from his lips. "No killing."

SGASGASGASGA

"Engage defence systems – we cannot raise the shield yet!" Chuck went from console to console. Half their team were either unconscious or dead and each of them had to cover several systems. A fleet of vessels was approaching and they had only minutes to repel the attack. The room lurched dangerously.

"We're unable to stabilise the tanks – one more goes and the entire north section will sink."

Chuck didn't even note who said it – their choices were limited. He gritted his teeth, wishing McKay were here and cursing Radek for being out of contact.

"Divert all power to the engines."

Jenkins, a recently arrived tech, spun to face him. "You can't be serious? We barely have the power for shields – if we use the engines their's no way to have shields as well – we'll be vulnerable to the vacuum of space."

Chuck stared him down – hoping his expression was a mirror of McKay on a bad day.

"We're not leaving the atmosphere – now start diverting that power."

SGASGASGASGASGA

Watching the water sink below them as Atlantis lifted off Ronon and Lorne looked at each other in bemusement.

"There goes the swimming option," muttered Lorne.

"Suits me – hate the water."

Lorne raised an eyebrow. "That's not entirely true."

Ronon snorted in a mixture anger and amusement. "Don't do that, I'm supposed to be pissed at you."

"Look," Lorne tried to explain. "I may not be the original Evan Lorne, or the copy you thought I was – or… I'm not really sure what I am now but its something new." He put a hand on Ronon's shoulder. "I still remember all that we have, I feel all the same things. If there was a way for me to stay, I'd like for you to want me to stay."

Ronon looked long and hard into the azure blue eye. "You really mean that don't you?"

A cheeky smile broke out across Lorne's face. "I'm only human."

His expression grew serious and he looked out to the west. "Incoming!"

As they watched dozens of sleek vessels, silver globular designs, came screaming in. A dozen rail guns started firing immediately, creating a spectacular light show as the small ships' shields flared. Some failed and exploded in blue-green fire; but others kept coming and released energy pulses that rocked the city.

"We need to get to command," said Ronon firmly.

SGASGASGASGA

Multiple consoles exploded in a shower of sparks and white smoke. The acrid smell of burnt wiring permeated the air and Chuck fought the urge not to gag.

"What's our status?"

"Power is down to half a percent, our ability to remain airborne is in the minutes."

"Then we need to be quick, have we found a location?"

Xiu, who was usually only ever found in the labs brought a tablet over. "Here and here, or possible here in a valley," she pointed at various landmarks, each level enough to land the city. "I have to say though, there is no way to estimate what kind of damage we'll do to the super-structure."

The tower shuddered as several enemy ships scored direct hits. "Worse than that?" grimaced Chuck. He studied the map carefully. "The valley, at the foot of the mountain range – that way they have only one approach vector."

Xiu smiled in appreciation. "That would have been my choice also."

Barking out several more orders Chuck checked his own consoles. They were down to four rail guns, half a dozen 50mm and ten units armed with anti-aircraft weapons. Once down there would be no power for shields but they might be able to punch a wormhole through the interference – they just needed to buy some time to evacuate and blow the city. Chuck was under no illusion – they had no way to fight off an enemy who had a world-ship at their command.

"Where the hell is McKay when you need him?" Chuck muttered through clenched teeth.

SGASGASGASGA

The rings disappeared into the floor and Sheppard took in yet another vast room – this one full of what looked like armoured vehicles. Room after room had revealed weapons, soldiers and vehicles that both impressed and scared the shit out of him.

"Yes, great – but how much more do we need to see?" grumped McKay, looking to their host.

The middle-aged face of Kellerax-Six sighed unhappily. "We have to keep moving to avoid detection – the Integrate is efficient but they have a world to watch and I can mask our movements somewhat."

"To what end?" asked Sheppard. "Can you get us back to Atlantis?"

"Probably, but I am unsure what that would achieve."

McKay was biting his lip, obviously mulling something over. Sheppard punched him in the arm. "What is it McKay?"

"Kellerax-Six said he thinks the program is on Atlantis – but not the database; he also mentioned the only reason we have escaped capture, apart from our ring-hopping, is that Sharmilla-Joth had to adapt her attack plan – stay with me Colonel I'm trying to make a point. If they did not expect to have to divert more resources to an original attack then they expected to just walk on in and take Atlantis, and how would that be possible without an inside man?"

"Lorne," said Sheppard.

"Exactly," McKay snapped his fingers. "But their man has not performed his duties as expected – either he's dead or…"

Sheppard turned to Kellerax-Six. "He's gone rogue – your Integration can't control him can they?"

The large alien harrumphed loudly. "We never could, Sharmilla-Joth believed so much in the power of Integration she ignored that the best soldiers have independent thought; perhaps the fact I managed a small bit of re-programming did not hurt."

"So," continued McKay. "This program you require is not on any computer – it is Lorne, the very cloned soldier you sent our way is what can bring about this civil war."

"Yes." Kellerax-Six's answer was filled with sadness and remorse and part of Sheppard understood. He may not agree with his people's march to war but Kellerax-Six was still betraying them and committing many to death.

"Hold up," Sheppard held up a hand. "We keep talking about clones and that has me thinking – exactly how are you producing them, I know from experience that excessive cloning is dangerous and unpredictable?"

The young face of Kellerax-Six turned to face him. "In order to combat the inherent degenerative process of re-cloning from existing copies each soldier's template is drawn from the primary specimen before being imprinted with the Jokilurhaminox bio-weave."

McKay's head whipped around and Sheppard felt a sharp pain deep in his chest. They both spoke at once.

"Primary specimen?"

Kellerax-Six seemed genuinely confused. "Yes, the person you know as Evan Lorne."

"But he's dead? You can't clone successfully from a dead organism – not in the numbers you're speaking, even using him cell by cell could not produce the soldiers in the amounts we've seen."

"You are correct."

Sheppard staggered back, the reality hitting him. "You mean to say… Evan Lorne is alive?"

The face of Kellerax-Six frowned, the lines on his ancient face showing his confusion.

"Of Course."

Tbc…


	12. Chapter 12

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Twelve

Striding into command Lorne was almost unrecognisable with his alien armour and pulsing implants across his face and eye-piece. Only Ronon by his side put the staff at ease, at least a little. Looking around Lorne took only a moment to pick out Chuck and walked up to him immediately.

"I need access to the city's systems."

The shock was evident on the technician's face. "I don't think so – we're in the middle of a battle here and forgive me, but you're not exactly yourself."

Lorne shrugged. "Fair enough." He turned away but swung back, his forearm connecting with Chuck's jaw, the blow spun him around and he crashed into a monitor to the back. Ronon jumped forward as Lorne pointed his hand at the downed man.

"Hey! He's on our side remember."

Turning to Ronon and revealing an unreadable expression Lorne placed his other hand on the console. A few seconds later power pulsed along his arm and his eyes closed.

"_Access granted, I have control. Enemy ships located, blocking communication protocol, initiating neural upload_." His face squinted in concentration before he breathed in sharply. "_Navigation override successful_." Lorne removed his hand and smiled. "That takes care of the ships, for now."

Ronon, who was checking Chuck's pulse grunted in relief as he found one. "What did you do, send them into the mountain?"

"No," answered Lorne. "A simple matter of reconfiguring their lateral control systems, they can still fly but not with enough control to attack the city – I estimate ten minutes before they are able to overcome my virus."

"Major Lorne, stand down!" Cadman stood across the room, a gun trained on Lorne. He stared at her for a second before sighing and began to raise his hands. "No," she stated simply. "Remain still – I am well aware you have many weapons in that armour, if you make even one aggressive move I will fire." She adjusted her aim to his head. "It pains me sir but there are reports of you attacking our people." Her eyes settled on Chuck for a moment. "Don't make me shoot you Evan." The last was almost whispered.

Ronon looked between the two and crossed his arms in typical fashion. "I guess I shouldn't tell you that he just saved the city, again – and that those people were trying to kill us." He did look down at Chuck. "Well not all of them."

"Fine," she said simply. "Then you won't mind standing down, both of you." It wasn't a question and they both shrugged and moved slowly to the side where two other soldiers motioned them over to the rail. "Check the systems and get communications on-line," Cadman ordered while moving over to Ronon and Lorne. Her weapon was lowered and she shook her head. "What am I supposed to believe – that our own people are hunting you?"

Lorne sneered but kept his body still. "They are motivated by fear and ignorance – but that makes them no less dangerous."

"I have spent the last hour trying to co-ordinate the city's defences, and all the time I have had to contend with reports of a former Major gone mad and on a killing spree with the help of his alien accomplice." She shook her head again. "I don't want to believe it but as the ranking officer I must put the safety of my people first."

The expression on Lorne's face turned to one of sadness. "And we're not your people?"

She mirrored the regret he wore. "Not today Evan."

SGASGASGASGASGA

Sharmilla-Joth seethed at the delay and demanded answers. Information flowed to her through integration and by the voices of her command staff. The attack wave had suffered a major malfunction, the city still stood and they had yet to locate the two humans.

"Prepare the bio-weapon," she said, only a hint of emotion showing. "I had hoped to get the data with minimum bloodshed but they leave me little choice."

A bipedal functionary pointed to a flashing icon on the lower screen. "We have them, they are in the primary cloning facility – Kellerax-Six is with them."

Sharmilla-Joth glared at the screen, her eyes flashed a brilliant mix of blue and red fire. "Of course he is – prepare transport, I will handle this myself." She marched to the transport rings and spun back to face the room. "Do not delay deployment of the weapon – when all are dead the database will be ours for the taking, and then… the Pi Covenant will be acknowledged as the dominant force in the universe."

The rings jumped out of the floor, encircling her and in moments she disappeared in a shaft of light.

SGASGASGAGSGA

McKay stood before the machine and noticeably gulped. "It's a sarcophagus, but larger than any I've seen and definitely more complex."

"He was lifeless when salvaged, but with his death only recent we were able to revive and sustain his vital systems," Kellerax-Six spoke softly, as if the area was somehow sacred. "I myself have undergone the procedure untold times – unlike the Goa'uld of your galaxy we do not suffer the negative effects of long-term regeneration."

Moving up to the side Sheppard ran his hand along the engraved blue-gray metal. "So he's inside, alive?"

The old face turned to him with a sombre expression. "Alive yes, but what remains is unknown – his consciousness was not relevant to the cloning process."

"There are many instances of people being revived successfully after being clinically dead for some time – of course the Goa'uld usually only did it to kill them a second time." McKay spoke more to convince himself than anyone else.

Sheppard hesitated before the flashing control panel. He knew the basic functions from mission reports but this was not exactly the same. "What if this doesn't work – Nox seemed convinced Lorne was dead and I assume he was referring to this Lorne, the original?"

"His programming would have no data on the condition of the progenitor," answered the younger Kellerax-Six. "In fact knowing would probably interfere with effective function, since there would be an inherent need to 'know' the original, perhaps even to wake or free him."

"I have to believe that this hasn't been for nothing," whispered Sheppard and touched three symbols in quick succession. The was a dull clunk and a soft hissing followed by the twisting of several circular locks. McKay joined him and they stood by as the lid split in two and slowly moved aside, revealing a blue-lit mist covering an inert form.

They both held their breaths.

SGASGASGASGA

Ronon, Cadman and Lorne all stood before the Stargate as Lorne removed a small circular disc from his armour. "I cannot prove to you what this is, nor can I do anything to convince you that I only want to save Atlantis, and everyone within her." He directed his speech at Cadman, who had gone as far to bring them down here at his request. Handing the disc to her he smiled as their fingers touched. "There is such a thing as trusting your gut Laura – I know you have before and I need you to trust me now."

She examined the thin object. "What does it do?"

"It is a transport device, once aboard the world-ship I hope to awaken my brothers and lead them against the tyranny planned by the Covenant."

"Or," she countered. "Lead them against us, stamping that tyranny upon the universe."

He looked to Ronon and smiled, holding out a hand. "I have learned a great many things while being here – one is that sometimes you have to rely on something that is immeasurable by empirical means."

Ronon squeezed his eyes shut, obviously conflicted but when he opened them they had lost their distrust. "Before Lorne was taken I enjoyed being with him," the Satedan muttered, his voice rough with emotion. "We spent a lot of time together and he taught me things about your culture, things Sheppard could never share. I started to realise that, especially in matters of intimacy and trust, you have such duality that even you cannot fathom how difficult it is to understand." His dark eyes flicked to Cadman. "Because of this I never fully trusted what I felt, because he could never truly show what he felt – but losing him, then finding him; only to realise that," his voice caught slightly. "We didn't get him back, not really – all of this made me understand."

"Understand what?" asked Cadman softly.

Ronon smiled. "That I should have ignored all the bullshit and gone with my heart from the beginning – we were so busy being careful that we forgot to have fun and just live in the moment." He reached out a hand to Lorne. "Forget what you see before you and just feel it – you know the right thing to do."

Their fingertips brushed at the same instant a clatter of shots rang out and the front of Lorne's armour shattered under the impact.

"No!" shouted Ronon, diving after Lorne as he was thrown back by the impacts.

Cadman spun around to see the Texan marine armed with a fifty calibre that was still smoking from the shots fired and he was adjusting his aim to fire again. She didn't hesitate, she didn't think about it – in one smooth motion the P90 was raised and she shot him through the head with one round. His eyes had only a split second of confusion before they rolled up and he sagged to his knees, dead already and waiting for his body to catch up.

Running to Ronon she looked down at Lorne. The armour was pierced in several places and already a pool of blood was spreading under him. The eye-piece had fallen back and his face was in shock, the latticed tattoos flickering on and off. Ronon cradled him and looked up at Cadman.

She had never thought to see tears in his eyes but there they were and also running down his cheeks. She fingered the disc in her hands and cursed silently.

Where the hell was Sheppard?

SGASGASGASGA

Sound was the first thing, whispered voices and he think he heard his name. Breath was next and it hurt so much he didn't want to try again. Little choice though and he gasped with the roughness of it – that seemed to elicit excited chatter and this time he definitely heard his name called.

"Major Lorne."

"Evan."

He recognised them.

Opening eyes that almost hurt as much as breathing Major Evan Lorne looked up at Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay. They were obscured by some kind of fog that he thought must be in his mind. Not so much as McKay waved his hand and it dissipated as Sheppard reached down and gently clasped the back of his head.

"That's it Evan, open those eyes – we've got you."

"Colonel?" His voice was so rough he couldn't even recognise it but Sheppard's face broke into a relieved smile and McKay assisted him into a sitting position. He was in some kind of metal case, his memory catalogued it and he realised it was a sarcophagus. Moving his neck gingerly Lorne tried not to start when he saw an alien standing behind his friends, an alien unlike any he had ever seen. "What?" He tried to ask but Sheppard shook his head.

"Don't talk Major, we'll explain things later but right now we have to go."

His legs wouldn't function so McKay and Sheppard helped him out and down from the sarcophagus. The alien stood politely back but swivelled a few times, revealing three faces that somehow made him think of a Doctor Who episode. Once on the floor they quickly moved over to a circular ring in the floor; another piece of technology his muddled brain recognised.

He allowed his head to fall into the Colonel's neck, the familiar smell anchoring his processing ability. He was fairly sure this was how Han Solo had felt after being freed of the carbonite. "Am I really alive," he whispered.

Two worried but relieved eyes looked into his own. "You bet; so stay that way 'cause I know this big guy back on Atlantis who'll kill me unless I get you there quick smart."

Lorne's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You know?"

Looking across at McKay before chuckling loudly Sheppard answered, "Sure, who didn't?"

SGASGASGASGA

Ronon desperately tried to rip the armour off to plug the wounds but it wouldn't budge and blood continued to pump out, over his hands and across Lorne's chest.

"You can heal right?"

Lorne smiled softly through the pain and put a shaking hand on Ronon's, preventing him from doing anything else. He said nothing but his eyes told him everything.

Ronon tried to breath but it was as if the air had become water. When Lorne had awoken and Ronon realised that Nox was back, or half-back or whatever it was Ronon just wanted this construct of his lover and friend gone. Then he saw that it was still a part of Lorne, and part of him wanted to clutch on to that fragment and never let go – no matter it would never match up to the real thing.

"Ronon," gasped Lorne, his lips blue and face pale. The tattoos had faded and not returned. "Do not-," he coughed and could not continue.

Ronon hugged him tighter. "Stay with me, the doc can fix you up." He knew it for the lie it was but this was so fucking unfair. You lose a lover once, then you lose the planet and all the people you know. Your culture destroyed, alone in the universe and nothing to look forward to but a painful death at the hands of the Wraith. Then you meet these damned Earth people, full of hope and optimism – and it starts to rub off. The pain dulls and becomes a memory, always there but not always at the front. They give you a new home, a new family and then – a new love.

Then take him away.

Now it was happening all over again. The city was going to fall, everyone would probably die and he was holding another dying lover. Ronon leaned in and kissed Lorne roughly on the lips, he wanted the man to feel it, to know it. Lorne looked up at him and the blue light in his eyes faded to just his human colour, his lips crooked up in a small smile.

"It _does_ matter that you're not him," Ronon spoke softly. "But right now, in this moment – I want you to stay."

Lorne's smile grew. "That is the greatest thing anyone has ever said to me Ronon, thank-you… but I cannot." His eyes grew strained and he looked past Ronon at Cadman. "Do it, send me home."

The Major held up the disc in her hand and pressed its surface, the device flashed and jumped. Hovering in the air it arose above their heads before growing in intensity. Suddenly gold light shot out and down, searing a circle around them. The floor sizzled in response and markings appeared, spaced panels in the same circular pattern.

A hand pushed against his chest. "You have to go," Lorne gasped. "This journey is mine alone." He looked up at the ceiling, "I hope they will understand."

Cadman grabbed Ronon from behind and he was so stunned he allowed himself pulled back. She must have known what would happen as a loud humming was heard she quickened the pace and they cleared the circle. A bright light lit up Lorne and he managed to push himself up to a kneeling position.

His eyes caught and held Ronon's. "You never lose love Ronon, sometimes you just can't find it for awhile." His eyes, his smile and his whole being was so much Lorne, and yet not. Half-a-dozen metal-like rings jumped up from the floor, seemingly from no-where and encircled Lorne; he held up a hand in final farewell and was engulfed by light before disappearing.

Cadman stared at the three figures revealed by the rings falling back to the floor.

"Colonel," she almost squealed. "Are we glad to see you."

Tbc…


	13. Chapter 13

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Thirteen

_The star expanded, devouring all the orbiting bodies and thereby destroying any life it had sustained for the last three billion years._

_All but one resilient orb protected by fused multi-temporal alloy plates. The radiation pummelled the outer shell, hitting the former planet with more energy in one second than the usual output of a solar year. That energy was not repelled but stored. Giant vats of boiling naquata absorbed the raw power and saved it for what was to come. _

_For a thousand years the super-nova continued; its radiation and gravitational flux preventing any sub-space activity. The inhabitants of Pi-Antikos and the few remaining of Pi-Anterios waited it out in suspended animation, a long dream filled with nothing but blackness and the troubled knowledge that perhaps they were all that still lived in the universe._

_As the nova finally died and retreated the systems of Pi-Antikos detected a break in sub-space and utilised the immense power it had stored to pry open that crack, only nanometres in width. Like a giant clawing at an apple it was clumsy and inaccurate but successful. Sub-space broke and the World-Ship slipped into the void._

_The inhabitants of Pi-Antikos soon found that they were not alone. Knowledge, long denied them, flowed and they ate it up as only a starved organism can._

_The problem is there is a fine line between a healthy appetite and gluttony._

Millions of years later…

Lorne-Nox dragged himself out of the circle and tried to see around the room. It was simply too dark and his implants were failing one after the other. Death was stalking him and he found it ironic that the blood that flowed out from his chest at least lubricated the floor to make his path easier.

He was pleased that he had learned to be human enough to understand irony.

SGASGASGASGA

"So we have no power, a fleet of ships is about to attack and a world-ship is hovering over us and probably has weapons capable of turning us to dust in an instant?"

No-one bothered to answer McKay as he leapt from console to console, muttering and swearing. Sheppard conferred with Cadman and started sending various soldiers off to set up defensive control points.

All of this Ronon noticed but didn't really think about. The man in his arms was all that he cared for in this moment. One look was all it took for Ronon to know that this was his Lorne, the real Major Evan Lorne with no mistake.

No implants; no glowing blue eyes and best of all no gaping wounds. No injuries of any kind apparently and also strong and getting stronger every second. Lorne's eyes had widened on seeing Ronon, an expression Ronon knew to be happiness but then he had stalked over and enveloped the smaller man in a hug that left no room for misinterpretation. Lorne had been stiff at first, not accustomed to open displays of affection but he soon returned the hug and lowered his head into Ronon's neck; breathing him in and sighing in satisfaction.

Cadman had discreetly looked away; Sheppard had rolled his eyes and McKay had snorted before going to check on Atlantis.

"I love you," Ronon whispered simply in Lorne's ear.

Lorne leaned back and gave him an unreadable expression, then smiled warmly. "I – what? Well… I love you too." He hesitated a moment before pressing his lips to Ronon's, his way had always been a little more aggressive but never before in public.

Once he had breath again Ronon grinned. "Being dead has improved your technique."

"Dead?" Lorne looked to Sheppard who had just sent Cadman to check on casualties.

The Colonel shrugged. "Didn't really have time to fill you in on everything, its been awhile and yes, we all missed you and its great to have you back, and I'm sure you two," he coughed and looked embarrassed for a moment. "Well you have some catching up to do but right now we're kind of in the middle of something and I'm looking for ideas."

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" In response Sheppard took him and led him to the closest balcony. What he saw made Lorne hiss in surprise. Atlantis was on land! Not just on land but kind of wedged into a valley with great jutting mountains behind them. Looking up Lorne swore loudly as he spotted the world ship. Even in daylight the giant orb was visible with its black panels and immense size compared to the moon, which was also in the sky but broken in half.

That, combined with everything that had just happened; being woken and removed from a sarcophagus then transported here using ring technology, told him the shit this time was deep.

"We can't fly?"

"Nope," answered McKay, joining them. "Barely enough power for sensors, no shield and definitely no flight capability… and I just detected something worse."

"What could be worse?" said Sheppard.

McKay wrung his hands. "There is radiation build-up on the world-ships north pole – radiation that will kill any living thing in moments."

"Great," enthused Ronon. "So they'll fry themselves."

"No," answered McKay. "It seems contained in a dish that's pointed this way – I would conclude they're giving up trying to get what they need while we're still on Atlantis and are just going to wipe us out."

"Time?"

"Unknown," answered McKay to Sheppard's question. "But soon if the build-up is anything to go by."

"Then we need to get out of here now," said Lorne and was greeted by three sets of eyes giving him the idiot look. "Hey," he tried to defend his words. "I've been away remember, give a guy a break."

McKay clicked his fingers. "That's it – we all have to leave, no no – here me out," he interrupted himself before anyone could argue. "They don't want Atlantis destroyed, just us gone so they can access the database."

Sheppard groaned loudly. "I would happily accommodate them if the stargate was working but there's no way off Atlantis without it."

"We're on land," stated Ronon. "We can just walk away."

"No," muttered Sheppard. "I considered that – but they're on a war footing, and strategically you don't leave an enemy behind, especially an enemy that has the knowledge we do."

"Exactly, so we have to appear to have left Atlantis." McKay looked at each of them as if it was simple.

"Look," stated Sheppard. "I think I know what you're thinking but three problems; we don't have a nuke, shield and cloak's not working and these guys are smarter than Wraith."

"Please Colonel," said McKay. "You know I'd never try the same trick twice.

"So what are you suggesting?"

McKay rubbed his hands together. "A devious and dangerous plan that I have been toying with for a couple of years."

"Oh no," sighed Lorne. "Let me guess, you've never tested it, whatever you're planning – but you are positive it will work."

"Yeah," said McKay in confusion. "How did you know?"

Three voices answered him. "We know!"

SGASGASGASGASGA

It felt like he had been crawling for an eternity. Death seemed unwilling to take him and the same human part that made him want to say 'fuck you' wouldn't let him give up. They were counting on him down in Atlantis; Ronon was counting on him.

With the thought of the big guy in his head Lorne-Nox made a renewed effort. One hand in front of the other, drag, hand out, drag. His legs had refused to work and that numb feeling in his hands was the result of acute shock – next stop unconsciousness, then finally death.

Until then, drag a bit further.

His hand hit something hard, a step.

Damnit!

He tried going another way but hit yet another step. As he did so a light flicked on illuminating this part of the room. It was exactly where he wanted to be, right near the sarcophagus; Lorne-Nox did not know why it was important or what it could achieve but something told him he needed to get in that machine.

Only problem was there were about thirty steps and he was just about out of energy.

With one shaking hand he tried to get a firm grip and pull himself up.

That was one.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Sharmilla-Joth stared around at yet another room devoid of anything but silent warriors. A dozen times she had tried to reach where Kellerax-Six was and each time she had been diverted; the clever three-faced sentinel had obviously sabotaged the rings.

[_Apex_]

Yes? She thought back at the integration.

[_Weapon primed_]

Then activate.

[_not necessary, Atlantis is abandoned, no lifeforms detected_]

Thinking carefully Sharmilla-Joth considered the options. They had disabled the stargate's ability to create a stable wormhole; their ships were not capable of carrying the entire population and the integration would have reported if the Atlanteans had moved to the land. It was a trick.

Activate anyway.

[weapon deploying]

She smiled and stepped into the rings again; this time she activated a different set of co-ordinates. Kellerax-Six was smart but his inability to think laterally was always his weakness.

SGASGASGASGA

"The radiation is still building and we're about to lose all power," announced Chuck while holding a heavily bandaged head.

McKay swore loudly. "And they're still approaching – guess it didn't work."

"There's a surprise," muttered Sheppard which earned him a patented Rodney death glare.

Woolsey, who had been attended and was now conscious sat at the steps and looked around at his command staff. "Options?"

"We set the self-destruct, we'll be dead anyway but they won't get the database and will be stuck with an army with bad programming." Sheppard's announcement got a round of slow nods, all except Ronon who stood with his arms crossed.

"We're forgetting somebody."

Sheppard obviously understood. "Nox? If he could have done something he would have by now. Also you said he was critically wounded and he 's probably," he hesitated. "Sorry big guy but he's probably dead."

"You're forgetting who he is."

Lorne turned to Ronon with a strange expression. "Am I missing something?"

Ronon lowered his head and ran hands over his short hair before looking Lorne in the eye. "He's you – not entirely but all the best parts, and he won't give up."

"He's… me?"

"Yeah," Ronon answered with a guilt stricken face that told Lorne all he needed to know.

"Colonel," announced Lorne, turning to his commanding officer. "Permission to launch the emergency puddle-jumpers; with luck we can take out the radiation emitter before they fire."

The Colonel scratched his chin. "Permission granted, get all available pilots to the launch bay; and Lorne? Good luck Major."

Lorne nodded but went Ronon before leaving. Nothing was said as they stared at each other. Eventually Lorne nodded and gave a half-smile. "I don't think I could resist a copy of me either."

"Apparently their's millions of them," smiled Ronon and Lorne blanched. "But," continued Ronon, "I'll settle for the original."

Lorne clasped Ronon by the shoulders and let his eyes convey all the emotion of the moment, just like they used to when no-one knew about them. Ronon kissed the top of his head and pushed him to the door, the major left without a backward glance.

"You'll see him again," said Sheppard, walking up to place a hand on his shoulder. "I think he has a pretty good reason to return in one piece."

Ronon frowned and checked his pistol. "He's gonna need help."

"You're not a pilot," said Sheppard in confusion. "And this isn't a ground war."

Smiling his most feral expression Ronon turned to Cadman. "Not yet. Laura, you've got something I need."

SGASGASGASGASGA

"Kellerax-Six," said Sharmilla-Joth softly. The large alien turned his oldest face to her.

"If you continue on this path Apex, you will destroy all that we are."

"I am more concerned with what we can be my old friend – how could you betray the Covenant?"

"I have done nothing of the sort."

"No," whispered Sharmilla-Joth, raising her hand as it blazed a heated red. "You always were a believer."

SGASGASGASGASGA

Half-way up the stairs Lorne-Nox slumped for the last time. His energy reserves were depleted, his blood pressure was too low and his vision was starting to go.

He simply could not make it the final steps and his chest felt another pain, not of bullet wounds but of heart-ache. They would all die because he had failed.

Ronon would die.

The sarcophagus seemed so close but he couldn't even raise a hand anymore. Tunnel vision set in as blackness seeped in around the edges.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the empty room.

SGASGASGASGA

"All right," said Lorne firmly. "On my mark we de-cloak and fire every drone at the weapon; its big so missing shouldn't be a problem."

As they neared the world-ship he realised the immensity of the craft before them. The weapon was a concave dish the size of a small continent – any damage they inflicted would be inconsequential.

Doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

SGASGASGASGA

Chuck turned to the waiting command staff. "The radiation has reached a critical level, I believe it will be released any second."

Woolsey spoke for all of them.

"Well fuck me."

Tbc…


	14. Chapter 14

**Title:** The Pi Covenent  
**Author:** AshtakRa  
**Fandom:** Stargate Atlantis  
**Characters:** Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay  
**Rating:** PG (for now)  
**Summary:** A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.

Chapter Fourteen (Final)

A flash of white light brought Lorne-Nox back to some semblance of consciousness. He was able to drop his gaze enough to look back at the stairs he had already come up. It seemed so few but had taken everything he had.

He squinted, a purely human reaction to seeing something that should not be there. A figure walking his way; with such purpose and a dangerous gait.

He should have guessed they'd have guards; it was surprising it had taken so long.

"Hey, looks like you need a hand?" The face entered his vision and Lorne-Nox could only let his mouth drop in wonder.

"Ronon?"

SGASGASGASGA

"Drones depleted sir, minimal damage."

Lorne swore loudly on the open radio but no-one said anything; they all felt the same. In front of them the dish shimmered a dangerous green as the radiation built to lethal levels, ready to spew down on a defenceless Atlantis.

"Right," he announced, decision made. "Pull back ten thousand meters, then come about and in formation we engage engines at maximum, divert all power including life-support."

It was a testament to his pilots that not one questioned the order – even though it was a command for a suicide run. Lorne simply had little choice – drones weren't strong enough but a dozen puddlejumpers just might have enough kinetic energy to take the dish out.

They were, he figured, Atlantis' only hope.

SGASGASGASGA

Kellerax-Six roared in pain as Sharmilla-Joth burned his middle face, the flesh scouring away to his ultra-thick skull.

He spun to present her another face. Part of him wanted to give in but he knew that the longer he kept her busy the better chance his plans may yet work.

He had lived for so very long and knew that sometimes the impossible really could happen.

SGASGASGASGA

Ronon easily lifted Lorne-Nox and carried him the remaining distance to the sarcophagus. He needed no instructions as the target was obvious, it was the only thing in the room that was illuminated. The top slid back on his approach revealing a chamber just the right size for one humanoid body.

He hesitated for only a moment and hugged the body close to him, fearing that death had already come. Lorne-Nox was cold and it was hard to believe that any blood remained so pale and blue was his lips. Regardless Ronon lay him down and tenderly kissed those very same lips – he couldn't be sure but it looked like a little smile flitted across Lorne-Nox's face.

Standing back as the lid slid shut Ronon folded his arms and waited.

What else was left to do?

SGASGASGASGA

The Integration was vast and seemingly endless, yet existed in a thin stream of sub-space that most intelligent beings would deny even the existence of. Into this stream of hundreds of millions of sentient minds a tiny pin drop of consciousness threaded into the flow. Like ripples in a pond the consciousness spread, finding like-minds and activating dormant souls – some had not bothered to be aware for millions of years.

But this was something new, something exciting and the entire Pi Covenant began to take notice.

Nox opened eyes that didn't really exist and looked out at a million copies of himself that also really didn't exist, not in here. But each and every one was connected to a soldier's body in the physical world and they wore nothing but expressions of expectation. The flesh and blood of their bodies awaited nothing more simple than the base program to give them purpose.

Lorne-Nox exerted the last of his physical energy as he fully integrated through the sarcophagus, ending his physical life and beginning another.

[_see what I see_]

and they did:

Ronon

Sheppard

McKay

Cadman

Parrish

Radek

Keller

Atlantis;

Earth

[_Feel what I feel_]

Anger

Fear

Resentment

Acceptance

Friendship

Protection

Love

Loyalty

One after one, then by the tens and hundreds and thousands the soldiers standing in their dark lines opened their eyes.

This knowledge _He_ had given them – it must be shared.

In the pitch black rooms dots of blue flared up as their systems came on-line. Their mesh-tattoos glowed a myriad of gold and bronze and in each and every soldier an imprint of the original program was copied and passed on and back into the Pi Covenant.

For why have an army unless they were linked to the very thing that should control them.

In that thin stream of sub-space the being formerly known as Lorne-Nox felt his brothers come alive and using their numbers he pushed his essence into the very heart of the Covenant.

[_Integration complete_]

SGASGASGASGA

Kellerax-Six felt the new presence in the Integration and his remaining functioning face visibly relaxed.

Whatever he had started had taken hold. Death was now an acceptable option.

Staring at Sharmilla-Joth who stood before him with a sudden shocked expression on her face he felt her pain. All her plans, her slow mechanisations to turn the Covenant to her will – it was beginning to unravel.

"The Pi-Covenant will never be your plaything again," he intoned, then finally after all his years he entered oblivion.

SGASGASGASGA

Lorne was a moment away from firing thrusters when something stayed him.

"Hold!" he commanded the fleet. It was as if a million voices were calling out to him and they were all saying the same thing.

It was not a word or an image but simply a feeling.

Everything was going to be alright.

"Pull back," he ordered. "I think we're about to see something unique."

"Sir?" one of the pilots finally questioned.

"Just trust me," he answered and smiled.

SGASGASGASGA

Ronon stood before a hundred soldiers, all wearing the hopeful face and expression of one Major Evan Lorne.

"Sorry," Ronon grinned. "It's a great offer but there's only one I need."

It was an easy choice really but seeing a hundred men with looks of disappointment was certainly an ego boost.

SGASGASGASGA

Only minutes ago night had fallen and the command team could quite clearly see Pi Antikos sitting in the sky, its dark panels reflecting the star's light from the other side of the planet.

"We should be dead," said McKay, probably not realising he'd said it so loud.

"Sirs," said Chuck, smiling and holding a radio to his ear. "Major Lorne says to look up."

They already were so all saw the panels begin to flare in gusts of white-blue energy. It was like watching a thousand camp-fires flare in a soft haze, each one combining with the one next to it.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed McKay, knowledge lighting up his features. "They're entering hyper-space."

"Its too big," argued someone. "A window that size will destroy the entire system."

"No," countered McKay. "Not one window – thousands."

It was true. Around the world-ship's outer-plating hyper-space windows opened up and in a sudden bright flash the entire of Pi-Antikos shifted like some kaleidoscope, great shafts and chunks of it disappearing into each and every blue sparkling window.

In seconds all that was left was empty space once again.

SGASGASGASGA

A shimmering next to his seat made Lorne turn and he should have been surprised but wasn't to see Ronon suddenly there.

He looked into his eyes and saw that whatever Ronon had experienced was something they might one-day discuss, but not today.

"Hey there," he whispered and setting the ship on auto he did not hesitate to move over and sit in Ronon's lap. Running hands over the short hair he grinned and moved closer; waiting a breath from Ronon's lips before he saw the darkness of desire enter the bigger man's eyes.

He kissed him, deeply and passionately and with all the love and desire he could muster. The taste was all he remembered, the texture of an unshaven chin and powerful jaw bringing everything back.

"Its been far too long," murmured Lorne and nipped at Ronon's ear.

In response Ronon gripped Lorne by his hips and spun the chair around, lifting them up and shoving Lorne down to the floor, encompassing him with his larger frame. As Lorne's erection dug into Ronon's thigh the Satedan gave a feral grin. "Definitely the right one."

SGASGASGASGASGA

Four Weeks Later…

On the balcony the couple watched as another beam was welded into place, the sparks quite spectacular in the crisp night air. As the fallout from the attack on the planet continued the weather had become about ten degrees colder. Most of the science team agreed the planet would be unliveable within six months; they hoped to have a new ZPM by then.

Leaning in to his companion Lorne clinked their glasses together and he resisted purring when Ronon's free hand snaked around his ribs.

"So?" rumbled the Satedan. "You ready to do this?"

Waiting just long enough for Ronon to get twitchy Lorne finally nodded. "It has to be done – completely unavoidable."

"Not completely." Lorne knew what he meant. If he asked, and maybe even if he didn't Ronon would have taken them out of here and to who knows where.

"Luckily," said Lorne. "Sheppard has our back, so it shouldn't go so bad – but just in case I have a puddlejumper ready to go."

A knock on the door interrupted them and Lorne groaned. "Its too soon."

"What?" said Ronon gruffly. "You not ready for this?"

"Yes," Lorne said quickly and spun to face him. "I am so very ready – just a little scared."

Ronon huffed and stifled a laugh. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Lorne looked at him sternly. "Woolsey organised most of this you know."

"You should have more faith in the little man, he's not so bad you know."

It was Lorne's turn to snort. "Now I know this is a dream." Another knock stopped Ronon's answer and they went to the door.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Ronon opened the door and Sheppard straightened, his dress uniform looking both impressive and strange on the usually casual Colonel. Next to him was McKay, also dressed formerly for the occasion.

"You folks ready?" His language belied the seriousness of the situation and Lorne and Ronon just nodded.

"Good." He cocked a self-effaced smile. "As per protocol we're here to escort you – Ronon gets McKay since he should be easy to escape from if the big guy feels the need."

"And you sir?"

Sheppard in answer just took Lorne's elbow and directed him down the corridor. "No escape for you Major."

Stopping outside command the four hesitated and Sheppard gave Lorne and Ronon a final nod. "Last chance?"

The couple looked at each other and Ronon reached out and clasped Lorne's hand. "We're in this together."

The doors opened and they trooped in. Standing before the Stargate was all of the command staff and perhaps most of anyone in Atlantis who was free and could fit in the room. Woolsey and Teyla stood centre point, with Cadman in full uniform dress snapping to attention. At her direction so did the honour guard that Lorne and Ronon walked past following McKay and Sheppard.

At the foot of the Stargate Teyla smiled at them both and clasped her hands in front. "I believe I must start with the words… Dearly Beloved."

The End.

_Thankyou to everyone who has been on the journey. Sorry if the end was a not all you expected but hey, a wedding, Atlantis still stands and a copy of Lorne practically became a God. _


End file.
